Memphis community celebrates after crude oil pipeline proposal scrapped

A Black community in Memphis is celebrating the announcement that construction of the Byhalia Connection pipeline has been called off.

They were called the "path of least resistance" by energy giants proposing a new crude oil pipeline. Now, after months of activism and resistance, a Black community in Memphis is celebrating the announcement that construction of the pipeline has been called off. "This is a significant victory for our community, and for all people who have been pushed to the margins of our society," Justin J. Pearson, a local resident and one of the co-founders of the grassroots group Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP), told ABC News on Tuesday, adding that the community responded to the news by erupting in "jubilation." "It's an extraordinary feat for people who were called the path of least resistance to have pushed back and beat back two billion-dollar crude oil pipeline companies," he added. "You can walk through the neighborhood and see all these signs and the spirit that endures, showing that we really are the path of resilience." Plans for the Byhalia Connection pipeline, a joint venture from Plains All American and Valero Energy, were officially called off last Friday. The proposed 49-mile crude oil conduit faced mounting community opposition, and lawmakers and celebrities also added their voices to the resistance movement.