Glimpses Of Black Life Along Bayou Lafourche

This book describes experiences of Black people who lived throughout the Mississippi RiverBayou Lafourche Region of South Louisiana during the period 18751975. These writings cover four parishes (counties) including Saint James, Ascension, Assumption and Lafourche. This area of Louisiana is steeped in American history, beginning in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. The regions uniqueness is revealed as we reflect on the Great Depression and the economy, the area and its people, the cuisine, health and home remedies, folklore (customs, fads, and superstitions), homesteads and family life, the three Rs and secondhand books, the music of our lives, our hometown heroes and their participation in the defense of our country starting with the Revolutionary War through the Vietnam War, and much more.

Lafourche is a parish rich in history and culture known for its close-knit, family-centered communities. The towns and communities of Lafourche were settled along its namesake, Bayou Lafourche, which bisects the parish from its northern boundary to its southern boundary at the Gulf of Mexico. Because of the continuous pattern of homes and businesses built along the bayou, many refer to the bayou as the Longest Street in the World. The parish was originally inhabited by Native American tribes and later by European, African, and English settlers. Many of the residents of Lafourche can trace their ancestry back to these early settlers, strengthening the sense of community that is distinctive to southern Louisiana. The fertile bayou delta fostered small vegetable farms as well as large sugarcane plantations that continue to thrive. The numerous waterways and marshes of the parish produce bountiful catches of fish, seafood, and other wildlife, giving rise to its reputation as a sportsmen s paradise. The parish s economy is also made up of a shipbuilding industry and the onshore and offshore oil industry."

Honore, a well respected and very successful man in his community of Pisiguit, Acadia suddenly comes to find himself and his young family without a home. His son Joseph had just turned two years old. They are scattered to the winds across the Atlantic to England then France. The years pass and Joseph, now a young man, longs to be reunited with his extended family in south Louisiana. Meanwhile, nearly three thousand miles away in the Canary Islands, a young man named Andres must face the harsh realties and misfortunes of life before he is finally presented with an opportunity for a fresh start in Louisiana. These two peoples from different places, speaking different languages, and having different cultures ultimately come together in the inhospitable swamps and along the murky bayous of Ascension parish. Will their differences create an environment of conflict and strife, or will their shared faith bring them together? Follow the journey of these courageous and resilient people as they live off the land and face life's challenges. Along the way, you will come to know the fascinating history of these two cultures and the vastly different circumstances that brought them together.