Meraux Foundation Celebrates Groundbreaking Documentary: “Battlegrounds: The Lost Community of Fazendeville”

The Meraux Foundation hosted a screening of WLAE-TV’s soon-to-be-released documentary “Battlegrounds: The Lost Community of Fazendeville” at Docville Farm last week. The groundbreaking film tells an emotionally harrowing story of one of the oldest Black neighborhoods in St. Bernard Parish, which was razed in the 1960s amid the civil rights movement. WLAE-TV will air the film for the first time on Sunday, October 30, 2022 at 7 p.m. followed by an encore presentation at 9 p.m.

“This is a powerful story and an important piece of local history that, sadly, is not well known. We’re proud to be helping change that,” said Rita Gue, the president of the Meraux Foundation, which is the presenting sponsor of the film. “I firmly believe that by gaining a better understanding of our history we can help bring about a brighter future, and that’s what our family foundation is all about.”

Meraux Foundation President Rita Gue welcomes over 100 attendees to a preview screening of "Battlegrounds" at Docville Farm. WLAE-TV Photo/Tyler Kaufman. Download here. 

The hour-long, powerful documentary features never-before-seen photos of Fazendeville, an idyllic, closely-knit St. Bernard Parish neighborhood of Black families who were forced to leave their homes, and paid pennies on the dollar, so the land could be used for an expansion of the Chalmette National Battlefield site. 

Some of Fazendeville's displaced residents featured in the film attended the preview screening at the Meraux Foundation's Docville Farm. WLAE-TV Photo/Tyler Kaufman. Download here. 

“All that remains of this century-old neighborhood are emotionally raw memories of the village’s displaced residents and some extraordinary pictures and historical documents of Fazendeville that were obtained by WLAE-TV,” said Jim Dotson, Vice President of LAE Productions and WLAE-TV – New Orleans, the public television station that produced the documentary. 

“Battleground: The Lost Community of Fazendeville” will premiere on WLAE-TV (Channel 32, COX Ch. 714 and 1014, Charter Ch. 11 and 711 and AT&T/DISH Ch. 32, Comcast Ch. 3 in Houma, Vision Comm Ch. 32 & 1032, RTC Ch. 2 in Reserve) on Sunday, October 30, 2022, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and at a later date to be announced on Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB). 

More on the film at: https://www.myneworleans.com/wlae-documentary-battlegrounds-the-lost-community-of-fazendeville-premieres-sunday-october-30/