Tom Pelton
/
April 20, 2026
After surviving brush with death, pastor fights to save his community from industrial 'MegaPark'
Twenty-two years after being diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease and given three years to live, Pastor Harry Joseph is not only still alive and strong but more inspired than ever to fight to save his community. He and his daughter are leaders in a David vs. Goliath legal battle by the small, historically Black community of Modeste, Louisiana, to stop a proposal by developers to replace their neighborhood with a massive industrial park called the RiverPlex Mega Park. “When God healed me, he healed me to put me in the position that I am now – to help other people with their struggles,” the Rev. Joseph said.