Tourists continue to visit Louisiana’s River Parishes, drawn by the canopy of oaks and the image of the Old South. At places like Oak Alley and Laura Plantation, they stroll through gardens, take photos on columned porches, and hear stories about elegance and tradition. What they rarely hear is how the legacy of these estates […]
Along Louisiana’s industrial corridor—known grimly as “Cancer Alley”—a growing movement is demanding environmental justice Louisiana 2025 and accountability. As petrochemical plants continue to expand in predominantly Black and low-income communities, groups like RISE St. James and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice are amplifying calls to stop pollution, protect health, and end discriminatory zoning. […]
Mardi Gras and Carnival celebrations are coming to an end, and communities are moving towards a time of reflection with the observance of Lent. These communities, and people of any faith looking to make practical changes to protect our planet, should consider embracing “Plastic Free Fridays” during this time. This simple weekly commitment is a […]
In 2018 Sharon Lavigne was just an every-day special education teacher at St. James High School who was tired of the foul odors in her St. James Parish neighborhood when she decided to make the leap to environmental justice advocate. “When my daughter told me that a $1.2 billion plant might be built two miles […]
Rise St. James President Sharon Lavigne, winner of the 2020 Goldman Prize, recently wrote a poignant letter to President Joe Biden requesting an in-person meeting this week. She talked frankly about what a home means, not just in terms of brick and mortar, but of the toil and sacrifice that goes into creating it and […]
Residents of Louisiana are intimately familiar with the annoying Formosan termite, but now there’s a new pest by the name of Formosa. Formosa Plastic Group (FPG), a petrochemical company, has plans to build a new facility in St. James Parish, a parish at the heart of Cancer Alley.” The community is predominantly Black and incredibly […]
On April 8, the New Orleans City Council will consider Resolution 92 by Councilwomen Kristin Palmer and Cyndi Nguyen which opposes the construction of Formosa Plastics along the Mississippi River in St. James Parish. Of course, the complex is not being built in New Orleans, it's being constructed in St. James, so why should the […]
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