OUR MISSION

We aim to champion the voice of the Black descendant community while demanding action that supports their total well-being.

What is the Descendants Project?

The Descendants Project is an emerging organization founded by Jo Banner and Dr. Joy Banner in 2021.

TDP is committed to the intergenerational healing and flourishing of the Black descendant community in the Louisiana river parishes. The lands of the river parishes hold the intersecting histories of enslavement, settler colonialism, and environmental degradation.

WE STOPPED THE WALLACE GRAIN ELEVATOR

Upcoming events

Dr. Joy Banner and Jo Banner, co-founders of The Descendants Project, will host an Instagram Live at 9 a.m. CT on Thursday, June 5, to alert the St. John the Baptist Parish community about prolific and highly toxic pollution from the Atlantic Alumina
July-teenth? Don’t you mean June-teenth? Enslaved people in St. John the Baptist Parish were not legally emancipated until July of 1864—more than a year and a half after the Emancipation Proclamation- when Louisiana officially abolished
"GRAMERCY — For several months, a River Parishes refinery unlawfully discharged industrial toxic waste containing arsenic, cadmium, chromium and other toxic heavy metals into public areas and waterways, state records show. The company, At
Read more at our link in bio. #environmentaljustice #environmentalracism #plasticfree #justtransition #canceralley #petrochemicalpollution #fencelinecommunities #historicpreservation #blackhistory #plantationcountry #genealogy #historicspaces #south
"Identical twin sisters Jo and Joy Banner are Louisiana natives with deep family roots dating back to slavery. They grew up in an area along the Mississippi River known as “Cancer Alley.” It was once spotted with plantations, but now
We are hiring for a Deputy Director. This position will provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and programmatic support in order to advance the mission of The Descendants Project. Working closely with the Founders and Director of Publ
Read more about our partners @ccostjohn and the fight at the article link in our bio.