Many African-American families understand from oral histories and written records that their heritage may include Native-American ancestors. The two groups share a long history of efforts to escape white domination and discrimination and claim their own identities. Read the rest of this entry »
Each suit is assembled annually, created from parts of the costume that were used the previous year as well as new components. The suits can weigh over 100 pounds and are expensive to create, costing up to thousands of dollars. Read the rest of this entry »
More than 80 cities in Louisiana celebrate Mardi Gras, and thousands of people gather in New Orleans for the annual event—even in 2006 when there was concern that the celebration would not occur because of the severe damage from Hurricane Katrina the previous year. Read the rest of this entry »
A black support group in New Orleans, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, sponsored the first African-American parade during Mardi Gras in 1901, but the group did not become known as the Zulus, or Zulu krewe, until 1909. Read the rest of this entry »
