This book follows the historical trajectory of African Americans and their relationship with the Mississippi River dating back to the 1600s 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 "Old Man River" or the "Big Muddy," the Mississippi River represents imageries ranging from the pastoral and Acadian to turbulent and unpredictable. But these imaginaries-revealed through the cultural production of artists, writers 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.


Using the rich history of the Mississippi this book will explore the intersection of race and class with the environment from a number of disciplinary perspectives and will be of great interest to students and researchers in social justice, ethinc studies and enivironmental, US and African American history.