The city of Rochelle, in Wilcox county GA has been in the news recently, as the place where a group of valiant teens pushed for and held an integrated prom for the first time in the city's history.
In deference to community standards I didn't use "shit" in the title, but by whatever name you call fecal matter this is a clear-cut case of environmental racism.
Black community residents, shown here meeting with Earth Justice attorney Alisa Coe, have filed a lawsuit against the city of Rochelle to get this health and environmental hazard taken care of.
(See photo slideshow)
Suing City of Rochelle, GA, Over Decades of Sewage Dumping
White residents of Rochelle live on the south side of the city’s railroad track. African-Americans live on the other side. The city has repaired and updated its sewage pipes on the south (white) side of the tracks but not on the African-American side. As a result, untreated sewage backs up and overflows into the streets and the yards of residents on the north side of the tracks...
The residents have to shovel and bury fecal matter, toilet paper and other noxious debris left in their yards after sewage overflows, which have taken place three or four times a year for decades. Sewage also overflows from manholes and broken pipes into a ditch along the north side of Rochelle and out into Mill Creek, which eventually flows to the Suwannee River.
The sewage from manholes and broken pipes flows into the streets and to the ditch along the north side of town, which discharges to Mill Creek. This is a clear violation of the Clean Water Act and the city’s permit. Once a favored fishing stream used by people in the neighborhood, Mill Creek is now so foul it is no longer used at all.
When attorneys from Earth Justice arrived in town to assist black community residents they were harassed.
Raw Sewage and a Raw Deal in Rochelle, GA
The mayor used his car to block the attorneys’ car when they drove into a black neighborhood, and then screamed and threatened them with arrest. The chief of police pulled up with his lights flashing and told the duo to call him before coming back to Rochelle.
I found it interesting to read some of the comments addressed to the articles about this.
This from an anonymous poster struck a nerve.
This makes me laugh..... There are many other towns that are separated but people just want to point out Rochelle. Blacks choose to live the way they do... Whites have no control of that!
Yup. Sure. Black residents want to live with shit floating around in their backyards. Right.
Denial is not a river in Egypt with floating turds.
It is however, the type of response we often see when racism is addressed and challenged.
(Hat tip to blue jersey mom for pointing this story out in Black Kos)