Waterproof, LA

Waterproof is approximately 17 mi north of Ferriday, one of the two principal communities of Concordia Parish. The 2020 census counted 541 residents. Jim Crow rules were strong through the segregation era, and the Ku Klux Klan was active in southwest Louisiana through the late 20th century. Although there were 7,000 black citizens living in the parish in 1964, none had been registered to vote. Taken together, these details give a newcomer a usable picture of Waterproof, where its history, geography, and current gathering places meet. For Waterproof, the memorable detail is the way older history and current gathering places share one local map.