Hometown Hero is a powerful ESSENCE series spotlighting everyday changemakers uplifting Black communities across the country. These inspiring leaders — organizers, educators, advocates and more — are rooted in service and committed to creating real change where it matters most: at home. Their stories are a reminder that progress often begins in our own backyards.
Roishetta Ozane is driven by a commitment to justice that dates back to her childhood in Ruleville, Mississippi. Growing up, Ozane watched her aunt, a longtime civic leader, get elected as mayor; and she knocked on doors with her grandmother, encouraging community members to vote.
That early exposure to activism, paired with more than 20 years living in Louisiana, laid the foundation for the work she does today. Ozane is the founder and director of the Vessel Project of Louisiana, a mutual-aid disaster-relief organization that helps those who are most vulnerable: Black and Indigenous people, people of color and low-income communities.
Founded in 2020, the organization was born of Ozane’s personal experience of displacement: She lost her home in the fallout of hurricanes Laura and Delta, both of which hit Louisiana in 2020. “My children and I went from living in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home to being homeless,” she says. “That was a moment that shifted everything for me.”
at an event advocating
against liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals.
The experience deepened Ozane’s understanding of environmental injustice and exposed the inequities in disaster-recovery efforts, particularly for Black and Indigenous communities. Places like Lake Charles, where Ozane lives, were overlooked when it came to receiving aid. “We weren’t getting the attention. We weren’t getting the funding,” she says, a sentiment that drove her to ensure that her community would never face this neglect again.
The Vessel Project is built on the principles of mutual aid, ensuring that no one is left behind and that support reaches those in need without the bureaucratic hurdles that often hinder access. This mission is deeply personal for Ozane, who faced these challenges firsthand. The organization provides immediate relief, offering housing assistance, essential supplies and more, while also driving long-term systemic change. “We’re not just helping people improve their situations,” Ozane says. “We’re making sure they have the tools to achieve their own goals.”
Over the past four years, the Vessel Project has supported more than 2,000 people—connecting them with resources to return to school, access job training and build stable futures. For Ozane, the most rewarding part of her work comes from the tangible impact she has on people’s lives—and the fact that those she has helped can, in turn, help others.
“That’s what mutual aid is about,” she says. “When you have it, you give it. When you need it, you receive it.” She recognizes the historical roots of communal care—and how mutual aid has strengthened and empowered Black communities throughout history. “It was everybody in the community gathering what they had and putting it together,” she explains, “to make something special. To make something happen. To make a difference. To make a change.”
Week 2023, to highlight the Gulf Coast’s struggles following multiple hurricanes—and the ongoing impact
of fossil fuels on local communities.
As we commemorate the 20th anniversaries of hurricanes Katrina and Rita this year, Ozane reflects on the lessons learned. “We still have areas in New Orleans that have not come back, and places in Southwest Louisiana that still have tarps,” she notes. “We had whole communities that were lost. We know that our government will not act the way it’s supposed to, especially under the administration we currently have.
So it is up to us, as citizens, neighbors, brothers and sisters, to look out for each other to the best of our ability. To make sure that our community can thrive. We have to ensure that people are okay and have whatever they need to fight against what comes next—because we know something is always coming. Just because of the mere fact that we’re Black.”
Beyond assisting with disaster relief, Ozane is vocal in the fight against environmental racism. Louisiana’s 85-mile industrial corridor, known as “Cancer Alley,” is home to some 200 fossil fuel and petrochemical facilities that affect the Black, Indigenous and low-income communities existing there. In response, Ozane tirelessly advocates for clean-air and clean-water policies, pushing back against federal agencies and fighting for systemic change.
For Ozane, a single mother of six who is now pursuing a Ph.D. in criminal justice, advocacy and activism are rooted in a commitment to ensuring that her children inherit a better world. “My children give me strength,” she says. “I don’t want them growing up in a world where they have to fight just to breathe clean air or have a safe place to live.” In her quest to make the world better for future generations, she remains hopeful despite the obstacles and current climate. “In these tumultuous times,” she says, “what gives me hope is the solidarity of the people and knowing that I’m not alone.”
This story originally appeared in the May/June issue of Essence magazine.
