African Americans and the Mississippi River: Race, History, and the Environment

This book follows the historical trajectory of African Americans and their relationship with the Mississippi River dating back to the 1700s and ending with Hurricane Katrina and the still-contested Delta landscape.

Long touted in literary and historical works, the Mississippi River remains an iconic presence in the American landscape. Whether referred to as Old Man River or the Big Muddy, the Mississippi River represents imageries ranging from the pastoral and Acadian to turbulent and unpredictable. However, these imageries-revealed through the cultural production of artists, writers, poets, musicians, and even filmmakers-did not reflect the experiences of everyone living and working along the river. Missing is a broader discourse of the African American community and the Mississippi River. Through the experiences of African Americans with the Mississippi River, which included narratives of labor (free and enslaved), refuge, floods, and migration, a different history of the river and its environs emerges.

The book brings multiple perspectives together to explore this rich history of the Mississippi River through the intersection of race and class with the environment. The text will be of great interest to students and researchers in environmental humanities, including environmental justice studies, ethnic studies, and US and African American history.