By Stephanie Oblena,

Loyola Environmental Policy Lab, RISE ST. JAMES LOUISIANA

The petrochemical to plantation pipeline in the River Parishes has resulted in former plantations becoming prime real estate for industries. Black history is being replaced by smokestacks and toxic air.

As if poisoning the living along the river is not enough, these plants also harm those who have died. Given that enslaved people lived and labored on plantation land, they also died and are still buried here. Your own ancestors may be buried in these burial grounds that are going to be cemented over to poison families, neighbors, and schools.

In St. James Parish, for example, Formosa Plastics broke ground in the Buena Vista cemetery, found bodies of the enslaved, and wants to further disturb this sacred ground with deadly industry. Even then, the project permit has yet to be revoked.

Orange Grove cemetery is another burial place threatened by the proposed Air Products plant. Orange Grove was a former property of Louisiana enslaver John Burnside, who held at least 1,000 people for labor. RISE knows of an estimated 268 people who are buried on this property. However, due to gaps in Louisiana and federal law, there are no explicit protections for burial grounds of the enslaved.

Instead, groups like RISE St. James have to fight for recognition for the sanctity of human burial that is at stake here.

RISE’s St. James Historic Preservation Committee aims to fight this threat in more ways than one. The committee is starting by nominating a historical marker for Orange Grove because history is being erased one industrial complex at a time.

The historical marker nomination is the first step we are taking to pursue National Historic Preservation, with the hopes of preserving Orange Grove as a National Historic Landmark and we need your help.

The committee is searching for community members that care. Whether you are a descendant, a history expert, or just want to help ensure that the stories of people buried in places like Orange Grove continue to be told.

Learn more about our Committee at https://risestjames.org/historic-committee. Our goal is for the enslaved people buried to rest in peace and in power.