Jo and Joy Banner envision a time, not too distant from now, when travelers visiting their small town along the Mississippi River don’t gawk at the concentration of polluting petrochemical plants nearby, but instead revel in the area’s rich cultural history. As founders of the non-profit Descendants Project, the twin sisters have dedicated themselves to preserving the histories of the Black communities tied, like theirs, to the nearby Whitney Plantation. They’re also challenging the industrialization that has given their beloved home its unwelcome nickname, Cancer Alley. 

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