When most people think about Memphis, they think of barbecue, blues, and the mighty Mississippi River. What most people don’t know is that Memphis is situated above a subterranean treasure: the Memphis Sand aquifer. It’s Memphis’s main source of drinking water, and it’s widely believed the water pumped from it today is over 2,000 years old. This water is pre-industrial, pre-plastic, and incredibly pure. We’re lucky to have it.

But in 2019, Plains All American and Valero Energy proposed the Byhalia Connection — a 49-mile crude oil pipeline that would run from Memphis to Mississippi. This pipeline would be routed right over the Memphis Sand Aquifer, crossing over Wellhead Protection Zone 2 and near multiple Source Water Protection Areas. It would also run through predominantly Black, low-income neighborhoods in southwest Memphis — a community that already bears the brunt of industrial pollution. 

In February of 2021, I began producing digital artwork to amplify the mission of Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP), a grassroots group dedicated to protecting the Memphis Sand Aquifer and halting the proposed Byhalia Pipeline. I created over a dozen pieces highlighting various aspects of the movement. These pieces were shared across multiple platforms by a number of influencers, celebrities, and organizations, including Justin Timberlake, Danny Glover, Colby Minifie, and The Climate Reality Project. Together, we gathered nearly 40,000 signatures telling the Memphis City Council to pass Ordinance 5782 to protect our aquifer and stop the Byhalia Pipeline.

On July 2, 2021, after taking numerous steps to secure local permits and easements, Plains All American announced it was ending the Byhalia Pipeline project “due to lower U.S. oil production resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.” Despite the cancellation, Plains attorneys and spokespeople continued to pressure Memphis City Council members, telling them not to pass protective ordinances.

Ultimately, the people of Memphis were successful. After numerous rallies, dozens of marches, and thousands of emails, the Memphis City Council passed three measures to protect the Memphis Sand Aquifer.

This community fought with love, creativity, and the desire to be good ancestors for future Memphians.