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Liberating Louisiana’s Communities from the Legacies of Slavery

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Why We Exist

For generations, Black descendant communities in Louisiana’s River Parishes have endured the compounded harms of slavery, land theft, environmental racism, and deliberate disinvestment.

Today, those same communities face renewed threats as petrochemical expansion accelerates, historic Black neighborhoods are pushed out, and industrial pollution places families at extreme risk.

What We Do

Our mission is to strengthen Black descendant communities in Louisiana and beyond to protect and uplift their legacy through reparative, educational, and liberation-focused initiatives.

Heritage & Cultural
Preservation

We connect Black descendants to the erased legacies of their ancestors, protecting the stories, culture, and identity of the River Parishes.

Only 2–3%

of historic preservation sites focus on Black American experiences.

Environmental
Justice

We work to dismantle the Plantation-to-Pollution pipeline in Cancer Alley, advocating for healthier communities Black descendants can sustainably live in.

Cancer Alley residents are

95%

more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis.

Economic
Liberation

We equip Black River Parish communities to protect their land and pursue economic opportunities beyond the destructive petrochemical industry.

Tax exemption policies cost Louisiana communities

$1.2 billion

in public services (to schools, libraries and infrastructure) per year.

We’re building a different future.

     The Descendants Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to protecting the health, land, and culture of Black descendant communities in the Louisiana River Parishes.

Our work pays homage to our heritage and provides access to resources that support community health, cultural dignity, and generational well-being.

We believe in better.

Economic Liberty & Environmental Justice For All

Being part of The Descendants Project means standing with descendent communities reclaiming their stories, protecting their land, and shaping a healthier future for Louisiana.

In the News

Our work is rooted in action.

Learn more about the issues we are fighting for right now.

Research

Archeology at Woodland Plantation

February 10, 2025
Research
Research

The Women of 1811

August 4, 2025
Research
Research

The Edgard Rosenwald School

January 30, 2025
Research

Get Involved

Opportunities

Help us shape a healthier future for Louisiana and beyond by lending a hand.

Donate

Contribute to growing community health, cultural dignity, and generational well-being.

Get Informed

Stay up to date with the issues we are fighting, get notified about upcoming events, and more.