The Boxtown community of Memphis was always fighting. They fought to create a safe space after enslavement ended. They fought to get basic services like water and bus routes in their neighborhood.
So of course, a powerful corporation decided to target them for something atrocious!
A utility company decided that Boxtown was the perfect place to poison with a toxic pipeline.
After all, the neighborhood was almost 100% Black. And it was irresistible to a profit-hungry corporation for a major reason: it had almost no political power.
Boxtown wasn’t wealthy. The people there couldn’t afford the massive costs of fighting back, like lawyers to fight the legal maneuvers corporations often use to scare residents into selling their land cheaply and quickly.
The utility company thought it was about to eat Boxtown alive – until something unexpected happened.
The town got itself organized, and unlike many communities that get divided by rich companies paying off residents, Boxtown stood firm!
Their residents refused to accept bribes, fall for dirty legal tricks, or be intimidated by the utility company’s threats to sue them.
Powerful companies saw the opportunity to steal and exploit us, but Boxtown continues to fight back and win. They demonstrate that our unity is even more powerful than their greed. When we work together to protect ourselves, it is possible for us to win!