The Ballad of Jo and Joy
This ballad relays the current struggle Jo and Joy Banner who are fighting against the proposed construction of a massively destructive grain elevator complex along the banks of the Mississippi River in what is known as Cancer Alley.
This infamous corridor which stretches from Baton Rouge to New Orleans is an area which is marred by countless industrial plants that have produced a toxic environment which has greatly elevated cancer rates in poor black communities for decades.
This ballad illustrates the scourge of environmental racism at the the hands of big business and unaccountable politicians.
The Ballad of Jo and Joy
As the darkness spreads from the banks of the river
Bringing the hallowed mist insisting the air to quiver
With a ghostly light that beckons the sister twins
The Fifolet spirit who guards the gold of Lafitte’s sins
But haunting he is not to the sisters Jo and Joy
But rather calls upon them as friends to employ
Against those who harm and degrade an ancestral life
Which is threatened by the Greenfield grain terminal strife
And together they gather, round Big Anthony’s tree
Which honors those who suffered under slavery
Who sacrificed and endured immeasurable loss
A violence concealed by the low hanging moss
Of plantations like the Whitney, just down the road
Which now tells a story in a necessary authentic mode
From the point of view of the slaves who suffered terrible
In brutal conditions which were sorely unbearable
But tonight, in the dark, round the tree, in the mist
The Fifolet and the twins make plans to enlist
All the forces they may, to fight the terminal threat
Whose construction will leave the environment beset
With particulate dust that will endanger the health
Of another black community cheated by the wealth
Of businessmen and politicians who only care
For what lines their pockets, and how big is their share
They ignore Cancer Alley, as if it were a myth
And approve air permits in secret forthwith
Disregarding the pleas of those who live in Wallace
Proceeding as if the process were lawless
So on this night, in the dark, round the tree
The Fifolet swears his allegiance in every degree
To Jo and Joy who nod, and respond in kind
That they will lead the charge unconfined
To the media, the Parish Council, to the community
The sisters will fight at every opportunity
They are Princess Warriors of the Mighty River
A Beautiful Duo who are bound to deliver
And at this covenant the Fifolet grins with delight
For he too shall bring a supernatural might
And visit upon the evildoers in stealth
And prey upon their mental health
Uncle Did’s Demon Dog will hound them in their dreams
And The Loup Garou will draw blood against their schemes
The Louisiana Skunk Ape will smother them in stink
And The Gown Man’s appearance will drive them to the brink
And joining the fray to combat Greenfield Louisiana, LLC
Will be Lt. Gen. Honoré and his GreenARMY, pretty as can be
An alliance to effect environmental justice for all
Fighting for the those with their backs against the wall
Therefore, from this sacred night, round the tree, in the dark
Let it be written, that the fire was lit from just a spark
Conceived by the Brilliance and Magnificence of Jo, Joy and the Fifolet
As they march onto the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Meeting Day
Jo and Joy Banner are co-owners of the Fee-Fo-Lay Cafe in Wallace, LA., where you can enjoy the best tasting Pralines and T-Cakes on the planet.
For a detailed overview of this story, please refer to: Descendants Of Slaves Say This Proposed Grain Complex Will Destroy The Community, by John Burnett & Maris Peñaloza, NPR, WKU, Jul 7, 2021