Sacred Ground - The Fight to Protect Burial Sites of Enslaved People

At a Glance

Date Filed: 

July 9, 2025

Current Status 

On July 9, 2025, Inclusive Louisiana and The Descendants Project brought an action against FG LA, LLC, also known as Formosa Plastics, a Taiwanese plastics company, to assert their rights to access, care for and protect a cemetery on a former sugarcane plantation where enslaved people lived and died under the slave system. The site is located in St. James Parish, Louisiana, in the heart of the heavily industrialized area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans known as "Cancer Alley." The litigation follows years-long struggles of members of the descendant community to worship at the site, which have included having to go to court in 2020 to seek a court order allowing them access. 

Client(s) 

Inclusive Louisiana

The Descendants Project

Case Description 

Inclusive Louisiana, a faith-based, grassroots organization working for racial and environmental justice in St. James Parish, Louisiana, to spread "enlightenment and hope" and create a fairer and more inclusive society, and The Descendants Project, an organization based in Wallace, Louisiana, committed to the intergenerational healing and flourishing of the Black descendant community in the Louisiana River Parishes, filed suit against FG LA, LLC, also known as Formosa Plastics, to assert their rights under the Thirteenth Amendment and Louisiana cemetery law to access and care for the graves of people who were enslaved and died on the plantation land now owned by the company. 

The Thirteenth Amendment was intended to abolish slavery and its lingering vestiges. There is no clearer "lingering vestige" of the slave system than the ongoing disregard and disrespect of the graves of enslaved people, many of which have already been damaged or destroyed through industrial development in the River Parishes. The gravesite that Plaintiffs seek to access and care for now already has a pipeline running through it that was constructed under previous owners. Another cemetery that existed on the site is believed to have been destroyed years ago, also under previous ownership. 

The facility that Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics group is seeking to build would be the largest in North America and would double the level of toxic emissions in St. James Parish, which is already among the highest in the country. The community only learned about the existence of the graves after CCR submitted public records requests on behalf of RISE St. James, a faith-based grassroots organization also working for environmental justice in St. James, to the Louisiana Division of Archaeology in 2019. After that, community residents have demanded that Parish officials rescind the land use approval, and have had to seek a court order to visit and worship at the site.

 

Case Timeline

July 9, 2025
Inclusive Louisiana and The Descendants Project file lawsuit
July 9, 2025
Inclusive Louisiana and The Descendants Project file lawsuit
Plaintiffs filed suit against Formosa Plastics to assert their rights to access and care for the graves of people enslaved on the plantation that once operated on the company's property.
May 12, 2021
RISE St. James and Louisiana Bucket Brigade send letter to Parish Council asking them to rescind approval of Formosa Plastics’ land use application
May 12, 2021
RISE St. James and Louisiana Bucket Brigade send letter to Parish Council asking them to rescind approval of Formosa Plastics’ land use application
June 18, 2020
RISE St. James files opposition to Formosa's motion to dissolve temporary restraining order
June 18, 2020
RISE St. James files opposition to Formosa's motion to dissolve temporary restraining order
June 18, 2020
Appellate court denies Formosa appeal
June 18, 2020
Appellate court denies Formosa appeal
Court denies Formosa's appeal to stop RISE St. James from accessing burial site.
June 18, 2020
Court upholds TRO, Formosa appeals
June 18, 2020
Court upholds TRO, Formosa appeals
After hearing arguments, the judge upholds the temporary restraining order he had issued, and Formosa Plastics takes an emergency appeal to stop the Juneteenth prayer event.
June 16, 2020
Court grants RISE St. James temporary restraining order
June 16, 2020
Court grants RISE St. James temporary restraining order
June 15, 2020
RISE St. James petitions court for temporary restraining order to gain access to cemetery for Juneteenth prayer service
June 15, 2020
RISE St. James petitions court for temporary restraining order to gain access to cemetery for Juneteenth prayer service
June 15, 2020
Black leaders call on Louisiana governor to support Rise St. James's demand for moratorium on petrochemical industry
June 15, 2020
Black leaders call on Louisiana governor to support Rise St. James's demand for moratorium on petrochemical industry
Public letter from Black leaders to Governor Edwards.
May 25, 2020
CCR submits comments on behalf of RISE St. James regarding the proposed transmission line in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes
May 25, 2020
CCR submits comments on behalf of RISE St. James regarding the proposed transmission line in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes
March 11, 2020
New expert report finds five additional possible cemeteries on Formosa site
March 11, 2020
New expert report finds five additional possible cemeteries on Formosa site
On behalf of RISE St. James, the Center for Constitutional Rights submits a new expert report to St. James Parish Council and responds to Formosa Plastics letter.
January 22, 2020
EarthJustice submits supplemental letter to St. James Parish Council on behalf of RISE St. James and Louisiana Bucket Brigade
January 22, 2020
EarthJustice submits supplemental letter to St. James Parish Council on behalf of RISE St. James and Louisiana Bucket Brigade
EarthJustice submits supplemental letter to St. James Parish Council on behalf of RISE St. James and Louisiana Bucket Brigade.
December 23, 2019
CCR and EarthJustice submit letters to St. James Parish Council on behalf of RISE St. James and Louisiana Bucket Brigade
December 23, 2019
CCR and EarthJustice submit letters to St. James Parish Council on behalf of RISE St. James and Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Letters submitted by RISE St. James on behalf of CCR and EarthJustice
December 18, 2019
CCR files comments on behalf of RISE St. James
December 18, 2019
CCR files comments on behalf of RISE St. James
On behalf of RISE St. James, CCR files comments with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, along with supporting attachments.