Documentary Photography/ Video: Julie Dermansky

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COVID-19 in LA Cancer Alley { 23 images } Created 16 Apr 2020

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  • Stephanie Cooper, the Vice presdient of RISE St. James, right, and Sharon Lavigne, left, with masks Cooper made. Cooper shows off a mask with a cross on it. She made them for doctors and nurses to wear so patients can see the cross when they are being cared for.
    RISE ST.James Fights COVID1901.jpg
  • Sharon Lavigne, the founder of RISE St. James, in St. James Catholic Church, told me: “Black people are being polluted the most in the 4th and 5th District in St James Parish, so of course we are hit the most by the pandemic. We are already hit by the pollution in the air. The pandemic adds to what we are already going through.”
    RISE ST.James Fights COVID1902.jpg
  • Milton Cayette, Jr., Lavigne’s brother and a member of RISE St. James, at his parents’ grave site in St. James, Louisiana: “We are more susceptible to the coronavirus because of the poison in our water, soil, and air. This virus will attack the people with weaker immune systems.” He tries not to allow himself to be afraid of getting the virus because he believes God will protect him.
    RISE ST.James Fights COVID1903.jpg
  • Stephanie Cooper, vice president of RISE St. James, says conversations about racial disparity in the coronavirus’s impact often fail to mention the role pollution plays in compromising the health of many African-American communities that are near refineries and chemical plants.
    RISE ST.James Fights COVID1904.jpg
  • COVID-19 testing site in LaPlace Louisiana in the parking  lot of a Walmart Superstore.
    602A0232-Edit.jpg
  • COVID-19 testing site in LaPlace, in St. John the Baptist Parish outside of Ochsner Medical Center  in La Place
    602A9021-Edit-2.jpg
  • Mary Hampton, president of the Concerned Citizens of St. John the Baptist, doing her best to stay safe in her home in Reserve on her 81 Birthday. The group has been fighting to get the nearby DuPont/Denka plant near by, to cut it's chloroprene emissions to meet the recommended safe limit for the likely human carcinogen, suggested by the EPA.
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA01.jpg
  • Lydia Gerard, member of the Concerned Citiznes of St. John the Baptist next to her house in Reserve, LA.  She is very worried that the toxic emmissions from the DuPont/Denka plant and others near by make her more vulnerable to catching the coronavirus. “There are lots of peoples I know that are being impacted. It is too many for this small area. It isn’t a coincidence we have a high death rate here.” She wants Gov. Edwards to force the petrochemical plants around them to bring down emissions, especially, the Denka plant.
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA02.jpg
  • Mary Hampto, the president of the Concerned Citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish, inside her front door on her 81st birthday, after attending a funeral: “The situation is scary because people are dying all around. Our immune systems are compromised due to all the pollution here.  Everybody I know has respiratory illnesses. We are more susceptible to getting this. Between all of the chemicals and the virus, we are doomed. I am sitting here waiting to die.”
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA03.jpg
  • Robert Taylor, the founder of the Concerned Citizens of St John the Baptist Parish, spoke to me while sitting in front of his house in Reserve, Louisiana: “The weakest people are going to suffer the most and it’s evident that we are the weakest people in the nation and maybe in the world because of our exposure to the onslaught of these chemicals.”
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA04.jpg
  • Robert Taylor, founder of the Concerned Citizens of St. John with Sharon Lavinge, the foundo f RISE St. James, at a protest  calling for the Govonor to shut down petrochemical plants in St. James and St. John the Baptist Parish where African Americans exsposed to pollution are dying at fast rate from COVID-19, on April 11, 2020 in front of the St. John the Baptist Government Building in LaPlace.Louisana
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA05.jpg
  • Gail LeBoeuf, a member of RISE St. James at a protest  calling for the Govonor to shut down petrochemical plants in St. James and St. John the Baptist Parish where African Americans exsposed to pollution are dying at fast rate from COVID-19, on April 11, 2020 in front of the St. John the Baptist Government Building in LaPlace.Louisana
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA06.jpg
  • Lydia Gerard with the  Concerned Citizens of St. John at a protest  calling for the Govonor to shut down petrochemical plants in St. James and St. John the Baptist Parish where African Americans exsposed to pollution are dying at fast rate from COVID-19, on April 11, 2020 in front of the St. John the Baptist Government Building in LaPlace.Louisana
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA07.jpg
  • Robert Taylor, founder of the Concerned Citizens of St. John at a protest  calling for the Govonor to shut down petrochemical plants in St. James and St. John the Baptist Parish where African Americans exsposed to pollution are dying at fast rate from COVID-19, on April 11, 2020 in front of the St. John the Baptist Government Building in LaPlace.Louisana
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA08.jpg
  • Robert Taylor, founder of the Concerned Citizens of St. John at a protest  calling for the Govonor to shut down petrochemical plants in St. James and St. John the Baptist Parish where African Americans exsposed to pollution are dying at fast rate from COVID-19, on April 11, 2020 in front of the St. John the Baptist Government Building in LaPlace.Louisana
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA09.jpg
  • Lydia Gerard with the  Concerned Citizens of St. John at a protest  calling for the Govonor to shut down petrochemical plants in St. James and St. John the Baptist Parish where African Americans exsposed to pollution are dying at fast rate from COVID-19, on April 11, 2020 in front of the St. John the Baptist Government Building in LaPlace.Louisana
    COVID-19 Hotspot in Reserve LA10.jpg
  • Rep .Cedric Richmond talking to former St John the Baptist Councilman Larry Sorapuru after he held a call-in townhall event at the Advocate's office in New Orleans . Sorapuru and other members of the Concerned Citizens of St John and members of the Coalition Against Death Alley wanted to bring attention to the fact no questions about the role pollution from the petrochemical plants in river parishes has on the high number of deaths from COVID-19 in the African American community that live near the plants were taken at Richmond's last event.
    Rep .Cedric Richmond in NOLA9B3A0895...jpg
  • Robert Taylor, founder of the Concerned Citizens of St. John protesting outside of the Advocate's office on April, 21 where Rep Cedric Richmond held a call-in townhall event. Taylor and members of the Coalition Against Death Alley wanted to bring attention to the fact no questions about the role pollution from the petrochemical plants in river parishes has on the high number of deaths from COVID-19 in the African American community that live near the plants were taken at Richmond's last event.
    9B3A0810-Edit.jpg
  • Rep. Cedric Richmond talking to former St John the Baptist Councilman Larry Sorapuru after he held a call-in townhall event at the Advocate's office in New Orleans . Sorapuru and other members of the Concerned Citizens of St John and members of the Coalition Against Death Alley wanted to bring attention to the fact no questions about the role pollution from the petrochemical plants in river parishes has on the high number of deaths from COVID-19 in the African American community that live near the plants were taken at Richmond's last event.
    9B3A0912-Edit.jpg
  • Rep .Cedric Richmond talking to former St John the Baptist Councilman Larry Sorapuru after he held a call-in townhall event at the Advocate's office in New Orleans . Sorapuru and other members of the Concerned Citizens of St John and members of the Coalition Against Death Alley wanted to bring attention to the fact no questions about the role pollution from the petrochemical plants in river parishes has on the high number of deaths from COVID-19 in the African American community that live near the plants were taken at Richmond's last event.
    9B3A0913-Edit-2.jpg
  • Renate Heurich with 350 New Orleans with   n protesting outside of the Advocate's office on April, 21 where Rep Cedric Richmond held a call-in townhall event. Activists wanted to bring attention to the fact no questions about the role pollution from the petrochemical plants in river parishes has on the high number of deaths from COVID-19 in the African American community that live near the plants were taken at Richmond's last event.
    602A1352-Edit.jpg
  • Rep .Cedric Richmond talking to activist after he held a call-in townhall event at the Advocate's office in New Orleans . Members of the Concerned Citizens of St John and members of the Coalition Against Death Alley wanted to bring attention to the fact no questions about the role pollution from the petrochemical plants in river parishes has on the high number of deaths from COVID-19 in the African American community that live near the plants were taken at Richmond's last event.
    Rep .Cedric Richmond in NOLA9B3A0932...jpg
  • Hannah Chalew protesting outside of the Advocate's office on April, 21 where Rep Cedric Richmond held a call-in townhall event. Activists wanted to bring attention to the fact no questions about the role pollution from the petrochemical plants in river parishes has on the high number of deaths from COVID-19 in the African American community that live near the plants were taken at Richmond's last event.
    602A1515-Edit.jpg