When Derrick Evans returned to his roots in Turkey Creek, Mississippi over a decade ago, little did he know that his journey to reclaim his family’s land and heritage would lead him to face the Goliath of urban sprawl and environmental destruction which rapidly was overtaking his ancestral home which had its origins during the period of Reconstruction.

In Come Hell or High Water: the Battle for Turkey Creek, the filmmaker Leah Mahan tells the story of Derrick Evan’s journey as he discovers that Turkey Creek, a small town that had been established by freed slaves, was on the verge of being destroyed by land developers, as elected officials turned a blind eye to the imminent displacement of this African-American community. The documentary, which was featured in the Washington DC Environmental Film Festival, dramatizes how Derrick Evans and his neighbors launch a strategic campaign to stop corporate and political interests by harnessing the efforts of the environmental preservation community. Through the 12 years of filming, the documentary also shows how a resilient community survives the environmental disaster of Katrina and the BP oil spill and fights for US government recovery dollars that tragically were being used for tourism development projects rather than rebuilding the residential communities.

Following the film screening, Derrick Evans was joined in a panel discussion by filmmaker Leah Mahan, Reilly Morse of the Mississippi Center for Justice and Leslie Fields of the Sierra Club. Mr. Evans commented, “There are a lot of Turkey Creeks.. . our fight has extended beyond Turkey Creek to this continuous environmental, social and political challenge that the world seems to talk about but not really deal with as we have done in Turkey Creek and in Africatown.”

The film highlights the issues of environmental racism which extend beyond the immediate Gulf Coast. Mr. Evans added, “There are so many places around the country as on the Gulf Coast where  historic invisible old African American, Native American, Vietnamese immigrant communities that have these remarkable American essential stories that they value,  are threatened by the almost third world oligarchy in Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.   

The essential message of the film was one of hope as well as a demand for vigilance. While billions of dollars were earmarked for reconstruction of the Gulf Coast following Katrina and the BP disaster, the communities most in need were neglected. Derrick Evans stated, “These federal dollars are meant for us and we have been the watchdogs so that the funds go where they should … not hotels and casinos but actual habitants of communities.

Leah Mahan encouraged viewers to visit www.bridgethegulfproject.org where those interested in making the difference in Turkey Creek and many sister communities can donate to the effort. The film will be streamed for free on PBS Video in the month of April. Mississippi Public Broadcasting, a co-production partner, will have its own local broadcast of the film on April 13 at 10 pm and April 30 at 8 pm.