Plaquemine City is the parish seat of Iberville Parish, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, about a dozen miles downstream from Baton Rouge. The town's boundaries were drawn in 1822 and excluded Black neighborhoods in order to deny them city services. In 1963, residents began a campaign to annex these neighborhoods and end job discrimination. They started picketing and forming a birracial committee to organize and lead demonstrations. In August 1963, CORE and other Black organizations began protest marches and boycotts of white merchants. Despite their efforts, the power structure of the city refused to negotiate.
The region is home to many industries. The parish has a large seafood industry and exports millions of pounds of fish every year. The citrus industry is also a vibrant part of the local economy. During the early 1900s, the parish was a major citrus exporter, and farmers used railroads to ship their crop to the coast. The local oyster industry has also been an important part of Plaquemines Parish's economy.