March 10, 2014

Dear Editor:

Thank you for publishing the enlightening story about Nailah Jefferson’s Vanishing Pearls: A Story Of A David Taking On Goliath. Jefferson’s film triumphantly highlights the plight of the oystermen of Point a’ la Hache and the devastating effects of the BP oil spill on our very existence. It divulges the complicated web of rebuilding family, community, and livelihood post- disaster, while simultaneously exposing BP’s role in depriving the oystermen of appropriate compensation. In publishing this story, The Tribune is at the forefront of informing the public of an injustice that continues to exist, and of encouraging a public call for action.

Pointe a la Hache fishermen Roger Moliere Jr. and Warren Duplessis lament what they project will be a dismal future in the weeks following the BP oil spill. The challenges facing these fishermen and others are the subject of a documentary by filmmaker Nailah Jefferson.
Pointe a la Hache fishermen Roger Moliere Jr. and Warren Duplessis lament what they project will be a dismal future in the weeks following the BP oil spill. The challenges facing these fishermen and others are the subject of a documentary by filmmaker Nailah Jefferson.

The Tribune has also introduced the New Orleans community to one of its most gifted filmmakers, Nailah Jefferson. Jefferson’s film received outstanding reviews during the Slamdance Film Festival in January, and she was just named one of the Top 10 Black Directors to Watch in 2014 by Paste Magazine. We are immensely proud of Nailah.

Thank you for ensuring that the New Orleans community knows what one of its daughters is doing to highlight the atrocities of BP, the struggles of a proud community to regain its way of life, and to shape public policy in the oil and gas sector.

Sincerely,

Byron Encalade, President
Louisiana Oystermen Association

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