The celebration will include music, prayers, and blessings to honor the enslaved, most likely buried on the property to be used by Greenfield, LA LLC for a proposed grain terminal.  Despite the high probability of unmarked burial grounds on the site, Greenfield is continuing with plans to drive pilings in the ground, potentially desecrating graves.  “While Greenfield continues to ignore our pleas to stop their destruction of our sacred land, people around the world are speaking out to protect our community and heritage,” says Banner, co-founder of The Descendants Project. Vocal opponents now include  Marc Morial,  President of the National Urban League and former mayor of New Orleans. Morial stated in a recent letter he is reaching out to Civil Rights groups across the nation to oppose Greenfield’s project.

This year marks the second time The Descendants Project is hosting a land blessing ceremony in honor of Juneteenth. The organization is now adding drumming and singing as part of the multicultural program. The program will also honor the Indigenous people for their contributions to the culture and their respect for the land through songs and blessings led by members of the United Houma Nation.

The Descendants Project encourages those who wish to attend the event to register through the following link and wear white attire. For more information about the Land Blessing Ceremony, contact Jo Banner at jo@thedescendantsproject.org or by phone at 225-206-1993.