Harm in the Water, funded by the National Science Foundation as part of the BlueGap Award, examines the history and legacy of water pollution in Black communities along the Mississippi River. The film’s focus is on fertilizer, pesticide, and other toxic pollution, foregrounded by the history of colonialism, plantation slavery, and agribusiness and their long lasting negative impacts on Black communities and our environments. The documentary will also draw a clear connection between plantation slavery and the plants that are along the river. Along the way, we meet farmers, scientists, community activists, religious leaders, and scholars, who work on environmental justice issues and see the problem of water pollution as an abuse of human rights. The film is a documentary feature and will be released summer 2025.