An Open Curriculum on New Orleans Culture

FAIN: AA-284581-22

University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA 94704-5940)
Bryan E. Wagner (Project Director: May 2021 to present)
Jessica Marie Johnson (Co Project Director: January 2022 to present)

The creation of open educational resources on the art, music, culture, and related history of New Orleans.  

Our purpose is to enhance college and university teaching by developing and sharing digital resources on art, music, history, politics, and culture in New Orleans. Our curriculum will be divided into modules that can be adapted in courses across the humanities and interpretive social sciences. Modules will combine original performance and demonstration videos with archival documents, photographs, and field recordings—all annotated with an eye to form, history, context, and technique. We are an outgrowth of a community institution in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, Neighborhood Story Project, but our network of collaborators includes academics from sectors across higher education at various ranks and career stages as well as independent scholars, curators, archivists, artists, musicians, and culture bearers.

Associated Products

Elder Utah Smith: Electric Guitar Evangelist (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Elder Utah Smith: Electric Guitar Evangelist
Author: Lynn Abbott
Abstract: This essay by Lynn Abbott focuses on the life, ministry, and music of Elder Utah Smith, who was known for his high-volume, energetic electric guitar playing and his captivating preaching style. Born in Louisiana in 1906, Smith was ordained in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) around 1923. He gained recognition for his powerful sermons, faith healing, and dynamic performances at COGIC's annual Memphis Meetings. Smith's musical journey progressed from harmonica to steel guitar and eventually to the electric guitar, which he mastered without formal training. His amplified guitar playing, combined with his charismatic stage presence, drew large and diverse crowds. Smith was known for his theatrical performances, incorporating stage props and costume designs such as his famous seraphim wings. He even used a movie camera to document his ministry and show films during his services. His signature song, “Two Wings,” became an anthem, known for its apocalyptic lyrics and powerful electric guitar riffs. In 1944, Smith established a base in New Orleans, where he led revivals, radio broadcasts, and built the Two Wing Temple. He collaborated with local gospel quartets, further enhancing his appeal. In later years, Smith faced criticism for his unconventional methods and political stances. The expansion of the Calliope Projects in 1954 led to the demolition of the Two Wing Temple, forcing Smith to relocate. His later years were marked by health problems and declining influence, but his ministry left a lasting impact on gospel music and evangelism. He was a pioneer in using the electric guitar in a religious context and his innovative performance style pushed boundaries. He remains a significant figure in the history of American religious music.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IeMGSdxUMtPjjRH6rNHtHiUQaqvKDsxh/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace.
Audience: Undergraduate

Gender, Reproduction, and Marronage in New Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Gender, Reproduction, and Marronage in New Orleans
Author: Halle-Mackenzie Ashby
Author: Arianna B. Browne
Author: Gregory J. Smaldone
Author: Jessica Marie Johnson
Abstract: This essay by Halle-MacKenzie Ashby, Arianna B. Browne, Gregory Smaldone, and Jessica Marie Johnson is based on a Story Map that explores the themes of gender, reproduction, and marronage in New Orleans. It primarily uses nineteenth-century fugitive slave advertisements to guide users through the experiences of enslaved women who navigated urban slavery and sought freedom. The essay offers a historical overview of marronage, explaining how enslaved individuals, both in the United States and other parts of the Americas, resisted slavery by escaping and forming communities. It explains that fugitive slave advertisements, published in newspapers by enslavers, serve as a crucial source for understanding the history of marronage. At the same time, the essay emphasizes the importance of considering gender and reproduction in the context of marronage. It discusses how the principle of matrilineal inheritance, where children inherited their enslaved status from their mothers, shaped the experiences of enslaved women. The essay analyzes a specific fugitive slave advertisement featuring a mother, Julia, and her child, Fanny, using their case to explore themes of sexual violence, racial categorization, and the challenges faced by enslaved mothers. The essay concludes that enslaved women's acts of marronage were not only about seeking personal freedom but also about reclaiming control over their reproductive lives and protecting their children from enslavement.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vBZfw09yspd-rDjUb4LfAHa7_C12qAf1/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace
Audience: Undergraduate

Hot Bands (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Hot Bands
Author: Kwami Coleman
Abstract: This essay by Kwami Coleman (Associate Professor, Gallatin School, New York University) discusses the rise of “hot bands” in New Orleans at the beginning of the twentieth century. These bands played a pivotal role in shaping the city's vibrant music scene and its reputation as a hub for entertainment and nightlife. The term “hot music” referred to the energetic, improvisational style of music played by these bands, which was characterized by syncopation, rhythmic drive, and melodic embellishment. Hot music in New Orleans drew inspiration from a wide range of musical traditions, including West African rhythms, European marches, and American folk songs. Hot bands were known for their ability to “rag” or syncopate the time of popular songs, creating a lively and danceable feel. They also emphasized improvisation, with individual musicians showcasing their skills through solos and collective impromptu playing. Hot music’s popularity quickly spread beyond New Orleans, traveling up the Mississippi River and influencing the development of jazz and other American popular music genres. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band's 1917 recording of “Livery Stable Blues” marked a significant milestone, as it was the first commercial recording of New Orleans jazz. The essay emphasizes several influential bands famous for early recordings of hot jazz, including King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five and Hot Seven, and Sidney Bechet and His New Orleans Feetwarmers.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aMp-ivnim5-g8EWb-JIUVRQyQpmFgmh_/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace
Audience: Undergraduate

Jazz Begins (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Jazz Begins
Author: Michael G. White
Abstract: This essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sX1S0C_I1AVbHjaVSr82eYgzdrSigldo/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace
Audience: Undergraduate

Oral Histories of Early Jazz (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Oral Histories of Early Jazz
Author: Melissa A. Weber
Abstract: This essay by Melissa A. Weber—the curator of the Hogan Archive of New Orleans Music and New Orleans Jazz in Special Collections at Tulane University Library—argues for the importance of oral history in understanding the early development of jazz music in New Orleans. It explains how the Hogan Archive began as a repository for recorded interviews with New Orleans jazz musicians and their associates that were conducted by Richard B. Allen in the late 1950s. These interviews, funded by a Ford Foundation grant, were the beginning of a collection that continued to grow in subsequent decades. The essay suggests the value of oral histories as primary sources that provide firsthand accounts of historical events and personal experiences, offering information that is not accessible by other means about the lives of musicians, their communities, and the cultural context in which jazz developed. Oral histories, moreover, whether in recorded or transcript form, capture the speaker’s voice and their unique way of communicating their experiences. This makes them a powerful tool for research and education. The essay features a few examples of interviews available in the archive, including those with Warren “Baby” Dodds, a legendary drummer who played with prominent jazz musicians like King Oliver and Louis Armstrong; Alice Williams Zeno, the mother of clarinetist George Lewis, who shares stories about slavery, Creole language, and family traditions; Peter Bocage, a Creole musician who describes the organization and process of early jazz bands; and Danny Barker, a banjo and guitar player, who was also renowned as a historian and raconteur.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pIJSRUr9deJ3Z8iQBWgRYZPKgo8LMRKG/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace
Audience: K - 12

Researching Jazz Photographs (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Researching Jazz Photographs
Author: Bruce Boyd Raeburn
Abstract: This essay by renowned jazz historian Bruce Boyd Raeburn is a teaching resource focused on early New Orleans jazz. It uses photographs as a starting point to explore the lives of jazz musicians, their communities, and the social and cultural context in which jazz developed. Included are fourteen sample assignments organized around a series of photographs, with each photograph accompanied by research questions that prompt students to seek out and engage primary sources including oral histories, census records, city directories, and newspaper articles, to investigate people, places, and events depicted. Photographs range from 1904 to 1928, and they depict early jazz bands such as the Emanuel "Manuel" Perez Orchestra, Fischbein-Williams Syncopators, the Reliance Band, Kid Ory's Woodland Band, LaPlace, the Onward Brass Band, Sam Morgan's Jazz Band, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, and the John Robichaux Orchestra. The research questions encourage students to consider the connections between jazz music and social, political, and cultural themes and are designed to promote active learning, guiding students through the process of historical inquiry.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TrF-ivZewQrb5pXU2BjoVxvLGH2ycnxq/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace
Audience: Undergraduate

A Listening Guide to Early New Orleans Jazz (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: A Listening Guide to Early New Orleans Jazz
Author: Allen Lowe
Abstract: Allen Lowe’s Listening Guide to Early New Orleans Jazz offers an in-depth exploration of the music's formative period through a curated selection of recordings. Lowe provides historical context, musical analysis, and insights into the key figures and bands that shaped the music. Focusing on classic as well as unjustly neglected recordings, stretching from the early twentieth century to the traditional jazz revival in the 1940s and 1950s, Lowe provides detailed commentary on each track, tracking the evolution of jazz from its roots in ragtime, blues, spirituals, and other traditions while also analyzing musical elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, and improvisation.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rfpeAK7oKjDDath8z-SPyaj7ptiofViV/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace
Audience: Undergraduate

Sister Gertrude Morgan: Living Her Calling (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Sister Gertrude Morgan: Living Her Calling
Author: Elaine Y. Yau
Abstract: This essay by Elaine Yau, an Associate Curator at Berkeley Art Museum, focuses on the life and art of Sister Gertrude Morgan. Yau explains that Morgan's life was profoundly influenced by her religious experiences. Morgan believed she was called by God to be an evangelist and itinerant minister. The essay touches upon Morgan’s early life in Alabama and Georgia as well as her religious awakening. Morgan’s beliefs were rooted in Holiness Pentecostalism, a Christian denomination that emphasized sanctification and the pursuit of a life free from sin. Morgan's artwork, including paintings, drawings, and writings, served as a powerful tool for communicating her spiritual message. She often depicted herself as the “Bride of Christ,” emphasizing her connection to the divine. Morgan lived and worked in New Orleans and eventually found patronage and an audience for her art and music with support from cultural institutions such as Preservation Hall and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XCWbTOOm3Lzecn6c9gfYUuAeMtB6lICT/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace
Audience: Undergraduate

Zora Neale Hurston and the Reverend Mothers of New Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Zora Neale Hurston and the Reverend Mothers of New Orleans
Author: Pascale Boucicault
Abstract: This essay by Pascale Boucicault—ethnographer, curator, and doctoral student in Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley—provides an introduction to Zora Neale Hurston's research in New Orleans and in particular to her engagement with four prominent spiritual leaders in the city. In 1928, Hurston arrived in New Orleans to study Hoodoo culture. Hurston discovered the importance of the Spiritual Church movement in the city, which was significantly shaped by Black women who led congregations as Reverend Mothers, including Leafy Anderson, the founder of the Eternal Life Spiritualist Church, known for invoking the spirit of Black Hawk, a symbol of resistance against white domination, and Mother Catherine Seals, who founded the Temple of the Innocent Blood. Hurston also engaged the legacy of the legendary Marie Laveau, a powerful Hoodoo practitioner, who has been recognized as a significant influence on the development of Spiritualism in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/139Dhuos4mBmrpBI9fJBFZ1-oIakT8RRu/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: Google Workspace
Audience: Undergraduate

The Life and Times of Oscar J. Dunn (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Life and Times of Oscar J. Dunn
Author: Brian Mitchell
Abstract: This lecture by Brian Mitchell (Director of Research and Interpretation, Abraham Lincoln Museum) discusses Oscar James Dunn, Louisiana’s first Black Lieutenant Governor. It discusses Dunn's life, political career, and legacy, highlighting his significant contributions during the Reconstruction era. Mitchell details Dunn's journey from enslavement to freedom, his education, and his early career as a music teacher and labor contract negotiator, and explains how Dunn became involved in politics, his appointment as Assistant Board of Aldermen, and his historic election as Lieutenant Governor. Mitchell also describes Dunn's role in the political battle over the Civil Rights Bill and his rivalry with Louisiana Governor Henry Clay Warmoth. Mitchell closes by describing the circumstances surrounding Dunn's sudden death and the widespread speculation of poisoning. He highlights the grand scale of Dunn's funeral, attended by thousands of mourners. In closing, Mitchell explores the deliberate efforts to erase Dunn's accomplishments from history after Reconstruction. In sum, this lecture provides a comprehensive overview of Oscar James Dunn's life and legacy, shedding light on a significant but often overlooked figure in American history. It also highlights the importance of historical research and the power of individual stories to challenge dominant narratives and reclaim forgotten legacies.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/956178569/244b830274?share=copy
Primary URL Description: Vimeo
Audience: Undergraduate

Reconstruction in New Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Reconstruction in New Orleans
Author: Brian Mitchell
Abstract: This lecture by Brian Mitchell (Director of Research and Interpretation, Abraham Lincoln Museum) addresses Reconstruction in Louisiana, focusing especially upon the period before Reconstruction officially started in 1867, which Mitchell refers to as “the Reconstruction before Reconstruction.” Key points include: the capture of New Orleans in 1862; General Benjamin Butler’s notoriety during the city’s occupation; the role of African Americans in the Union Army; the campaign to extend voting rights to African American men; the Mechanics’s Hall Massacre; and the Reconstruction Act of 1867.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1019021248/4a65783626?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Life and Legend of Bras-Coupé (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Life and Legend of Bras-Coupé
Author: Bryan Wagner
Abstract: This lecture by Bryan Wagner (Professor, English, University of California at Berkeley) describes Bras-Coupé, a formerly enslaved man who became a famous outlaw in New Orleans in the 1830s. Wagner argues that Bras-Coupé's story is important for understanding slavery, police institutions, the African diaspora, and the history of jazz. Wagner explains that Bras-Coupé, originally named Squire, escaped from slavery and joined a maroon community in the swamps outside New Orleans. After being shot in the arm and escaping from the hospital, he became a notorious outlaw, leading raids on the city's outskirts. His story became intertwined with a campaign to demilitarize the New Orleans police, with the mayor using Bras-Coupé as an example of the need for a well-armed police force. Bras-Coupé was eventually killed by an associate for a reward, and his body was displayed in the Place d’Armes. After his death, Bras-Coupé became a legendary figure in New Orleans folklore, sometimes portrayed as a villain and sometimes as a hero. His story was adapted in literature, including George Washington Cable's novel The Grandissimes, which introduced fictional elements that later became accepted as historical fact. Bras-Coupé's story also influenced the early historiography of jazz, with some writers claiming he invented the music. Today, Bras-Coupé is remembered as a culture hero in New Orleans, with his story inspiring murals, extraordinary suits crafted by Black Masking Indians, and a variety of public art and history projects.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1019021765/5000680290?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

A Historical Geography of New Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: A Historical Geography of New Orleans
Author: Richard Campanella
Abstract: This lecture by Richard Campanella discusses the historical geography of New Orleans over three centuries, focusing on how the city's unique geology shaped its development. The Mississippi River played a crucial role in creating the land New Orleans now sits on. Over thousands of years, the river deposited sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. The presence of a buried barrier island, the Pine Island Trend, further influenced the river's flow and the formation of Lake Pontchartrain. Before European arrival, the area was inhabited by indigenous groups who called it “bulbancha,” meaning “land of many tongues.” The French established New Orleans in 1718 due to its strategic location and access to the Mississippi River. The city faced challenges like hurricanes, floods, and diseases. It changed hands between France and Spain during the 18th century, struggling to thrive. The early 19th century brought significant change. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 transferred New Orleans to the United States. Technological advancements like the cotton gin and sugarcane granulation led to agricultural booms and increased reliance on slavery. The city's population grew, and it became a major port and commercial hub. The mid-19th century saw the rise of canals and railroads, which diverted trade away from the Mississippi River and contributed to the city’s economic decline. The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought significant infrastructure developments, including a municipal drainage system that enabled the city to expand into previously uninhabitable areas. This system, along with the leveeing of the river, had unintended consequences, leading to subsidence and increased vulnerability to flooding. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. New Orleans continues to face challenges related to subsidence, sea-level rise, and the threat of future hurricanes. However, the city is also investing in coastal restoration and other non-structural solutions to mitigate these risks.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/901320410/a26f2496cc?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Historic Gatherings at Congo Square (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Historic Gatherings at Congo Square
Author: Freddi Williams Evans
Abstract: This lecture by Freddi Williams Evans, the author of the prizewinning book Congo Square: African Roots in New Orleans (2011), explores the significance of Congo Square as a gathering place for enslaved Africans in New Orleans. Williams emphasizes how in spite of the hardships of slavery, enslaved people retained their cultural memory, expressed through music, dance, language, and rituals. Congo Square provided a space for them to preserve and practice their traditions. Although similar gatherings existed elsewhere, Congo Square's extensive documentation and longevity under French, Spanish, and American rule make it notable. People from various African regions gathered, both free and enslaved, fostering cultural exchange. African rhythms perpetuated in Congo Square influenced New Orleans music, including jazz and second-line parades. Congo Square represents a vital space for cultural preservation, resistance, and the development of unique New Orleans traditions. It highlights the resilience of African culture and its enduring impact on American society.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1019023344/e5cab45133?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Economic Exchange at Congo Square (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Economic Exchange at Congo Square
Author: Freddi Williams Evans
Abstract: This lecture by Freddi Williams Evans, the author of the prizewinning book Congo Square: African Roots in New Orleans (2011), explores the history and significance of economic exchange at Congo Square and its continuation in New Orleans's cultural practices. The Code Noir of 1724 mandated Sundays and Catholic holidays as days of rest, providing enslaved people with a quasi-free day for gatherings and economic activity. Evans notes that earliest account of economic exchange at Congo Square comes from Antoine Simon Le Page du Pratz, who observed enslaved Africans buying and selling goods there on Sundays. Enslaved people sold a variety of goods, including food, drinks, crafts, and services, often supplementing their rations or earning money to purchase freedom. Women played a significant role in the markets, demonstrating business savvy and contributing to household incomes. After the end of Sunday gatherings in Congo Square, its tradition of economic exchange continued in other forms and other settings, such as dance halls and second-line parades, where vendors still sell food, drinks, and other goods.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1019022552/c2cc0376ac?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Jazz Funeral (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Jazz Funeral
Author: Jason Berry
Abstract: This lecture by Jason Berry—a renowned journalist, filmmaker, and historian—discusses the history and cultural significance of jazz funerals in New Orleans. It traces their origins to European military band traditions and African burial rituals, highlighting the fusion of these two distinct practices. Berry emphasizes the role of benevolent societies in providing dignified burials and fostering community as well as the evolution of musical repertoires in jazz funerals. These organizations, which consisted of members from diverse backgrounds, collected dues from their members to ensure that everyone, regardless of their financial status, could have a proper burial. This not only relieved families of the financial burden of funeral expenses but also created a sense of collective responsibility and support within the community. Berry also shares personal anecdotes from funerals he attended, illustrating the emotional depth and communal spirit of these events. Berry portrays jazz funerals as a powerful expression of New Orleans's distinctive cultural heritage where mourning and celebration intertwine to create a vibrant and cathartic experience.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030374437/dd2e465c69?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Mother Catherine Seals and Her Legacy (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Mother Catherine Seals and Her Legacy
Author: Jason Berry
Abstract: This lecture by Jason Berry—a renowned journalist, filmmaker, and historian—focuses on Mother Catherine Seals, a prominent figure in New Orleans's spiritual churches in the early 20th century. Berry highlights Mother Catherine's reputation as a healer, with testimonials from individuals who claimed to have experienced or witnessed her healing powers. While the veracity of these accounts is difficult to ascertain, they underscore her significance in the community. He provides historical context for the emergence of spiritual churches in New Orleans, emphasizing their distinction from traditional Protestant and Catholic churches. These churches often featured women in leadership roles, a departure from the norm at the time. In addition, Berry underscores the role of music in spiritual churches, with Mother Catherine herself playing the trombone. It also touches on the connection between spiritual music and the development of New Orleans jazz, highlighting the contributions of musicians like Frank Lastie. The lecture concludes by reflecting upon Mother Catherine's legacy in the city’s spiritual communities. This lecture is distributed by An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture. It was created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Google Education, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, the Department of Mass Communication at Xavier University of Louisiana, and the Division of Undergraduate Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030373280/6af38508b1?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Africans in Colonial Louisiana (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Africans in Colonial Louisiana
Author: Jessica Marie Johnson
Abstract: This lecture by Jessica Marie Johnson (Associate Professor, History, Johns Hopkins University) focuses on the formation of Afro-Creole culture in Louisiana during the transatlantic slave trade. The French slave trade began in the sixteenth century, but it wasn't until the eighteenth century that it became a major enterprise. The French established trading posts in Senegambia and shipped enslaved Africans to Louisiana and other colonies. Johnson discusses the process by which enslaved Africans were turned into commodities. She describes the use of the “pieza de India” as a unit of measure for enslaved people and the factors that determined their value. Johnson notes that even as the French were developing their own ideas about slavery, race, and manumission in the 18th century, these ideas were contested by enslaved Africans. Johnson tells the story of Marie Baude, a free woman of African descent who was enslaved and transported to Louisiana, whose story illustrates the complexities of race and gender in the early Atlantic world. Johnson challenges the notion that race and gender are static categories, arguing that they were formed and reformed over time, suggesting why we should not make assumptions about these categories in historical research. This lecture is distributed by An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture. It was created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Google Education, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, the Department of Mass Communication at Xavier University of Louisiana, and the Division of Undergraduate Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030376937/cc0674dfc7?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Tradition of Innovation (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Tradition of Innovation
Author: Matt Sakakeeny
Abstract: This lecture by Matt Sakakeeny (Associate Professor, Music, Tulane University) explores the history of jazz music in New Orleans, focusing on the interplay between tradition and innovation. It begins by acknowledging New Orleans’s rich musical heritage and the enduring popularity of traditional jazz, but questions whether this focus on preservation has overshadowed the city's continued role as a source of musical innovation. The lecture traces the roots of jazz to the post-Emancipation era, highlighting the contributions of African American musicians and the unique cultural environment of New Orleans. It emphasizes the importance of improvisation and musical literacy in the development of jazz, citing Louis Armstrong as a prime example of a musician who skillfully blended tradition and innovation. The lecture also discusses the evolution of brass bands in New Orleans, from their origins in jazz funerals and second-line parades to their incorporation of modern genres like funk and hip-hop. It concludes by celebrating the ongoing creativity of New Orleans musicians and calling for a broader recognition of their contributions to the contemporary music scene. The lecture challenges the notion of New Orleans as a mere repository of musical traditions and instead positions the city as a dynamic and evolving hub of musical innovation.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1019023851/6f0b4b0435?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Music Between Cuba and New Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Music Between Cuba and New Orleans
Author: Ned Sublette
Abstract: This lecture by Ned Sublette—historian, musicologist, and documentary producer—addresses the musical connections between Cuba and New Orleans. It begins by explaining the geographical and historical links between the two cities, emphasizing Havana's role as an early music capital in the Americas. Sublette notes the influence of Cuban music on New Orleans, particularly during the Spanish colonial period, before discussing the significant African influence within Cuban music, highlighting the presence of African religious music and the impact of the transatlantic slave trade. He contrasts the experiences of enslaved Africans in Cuba and the United States, noting that the slave trade ended earlier in the United States, leading to different cultural developments. Sublette explores the importance of dance music in both Cuba and Louisiana, focusing on the contradanza, a popular dance style that evolved into various forms, including the danzón. He also discusses the influence of Cuban music on early American composers like Louis Moreau Gottschalk and ragtime pioneer Jelly Roll Morton. Sublette then traces the growing popularity of Cuban music in the United States, starting with the success of “The Peanut Vendor” in the 1930s. He highlights key figures like Arsenio Rodríguez, who popularized the conjunto style, and Dizzy Gillespie, who collaborated with Cuban musicians like Chano Pozo to create groundbreaking Afro-Cuban jazz. He also discusses the impact of the mambo and cha-cha-chá on American music, including the unexpected connection between the cha-cha-chá and the rock classic "Louie Louie." Sublette acknowledges the impact of the Cuban Revolution on musical exchange between the two cities, noting the rise of Miami as a hub for Cuban music in the United States. He concludes by highlighting ongoing efforts to promote music between Cuba and New Orleans, showcasing contemporary artists like Cimafunk who bridge the gap between the two cultures.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/992195851/71de47971c?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Local Color Literature and the Natural Environment (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Local Color Literature and the Natural Environment
Author: Richmond Eustis
Abstract: This lecture by Richmond Eustis, a Professor of English and Spanish at Nicholls State University, explores the connection between precarious land and precarious culture in late nineteenth-century local color literature, focusing on New Orleans and its surrounding environment. Eustis begins by discussing Fort Livingston, a crumbling structure on Grand Terre Island, as a metaphor for the disappearing Louisiana coastline as well as the fragile Creole culture depicted in novels such as Lafcadio Hearn's Chita and George Washington Cable's The Grandissimes. He argues that local color literature often uses the environment as a symbol of the impermanence of local cultures, highlighting the interplay between nature and society. The lecture reviews generic characteristics of local color literature, including its focus on remote settings, exotic cultures, and the tension between tradition and change. Eustis examines how Cable and Hearn portray New Orleans as a city built on a precarious foundation, constantly threatened by the surrounding swamp and the encroaching Gulf of Mexico. He also discusses the role of outsiders in these novels, who often serve as narrators and observers of the local culture, describing how their vivid descriptions of the Louisiana landscape and the ways in which they reflect the social and cultural dynamics of the city. The lecture concludes by reflecting on the enduring relevance of local color literature, particularly in the context of ongoing environmental challenges in Louisiana. Eustis suggests that these novels offer valuable insights into the relationship between humans and their environment, reminding us of the fragility of both natural and cultural landscapes. He emphasizes the importance of preserving both natural environments and local cultures, even as they face inevitable change.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1019030168/01922841a7?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Mardi Gras in New Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Author: Rien Fertel
Abstract: This lecture by Rien Fertel—an educator, journalist, and cultural historian—explores the history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It describes the early years of the celebration, its evolution over time, and the ways in which it has reflected and shaped the city's social and cultural landscape. Fertel explains that Mardi Gras in New Orleans dates to the city's founding in 1718. Early celebrations were influenced by European Carnival traditions and also incorporated elements of African and Caribbean culture. These early celebrations were often regulated by city officials, who sought to control who could participate and how. In the mid-nineteenth century, a group of elite white men formed the Mistick Krewe of Comus, which introduced the modern parade format as well as a more organized approach to Mardi Gras. Comus and similar krewes developed new carnival institutions that were exclusive and elitist by design, excluding marginalized groups. At the same time, despite facing discrimination and exclusion, Black New Orleanians developed their own vibrant traditions, led by groups such as the Skull and Bone Gang, the Mardi Gras Indians, and the Baby Dolls. The lecture also highlights the role of labor and social justice movements in shaping Mardi Gras. The Flambeau carriers’s strike for better wages and the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club's satirical commentary on racial inequality are examples of how Mardi Gras has been used as a platform for social change. Fertel explains that today Mardi Gras is a more inclusive celebration, thanks to the contributions of Black masking traditions and social justice movements. Yet the legacy of exclusion and inequality still lingers, and the celebration continues to evolve and adapt to the changing social and cultural landscape of New Orleans. Fertel describes Mardi Gras as a public celebration, filled with revelry and irreverence, but also a reflection of the city’s struggles with race, class, and social justice.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030379887/16d9f61fb5?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Black Press in New Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Black Press in New Orleans
Author: Shearon Roberts
Abstract: During this presentation, Shearon Roberts (Associate Professor, Mass Communication, Xavier University) speaks with leaders from the New Orleans Black press: Anitra Brown, Beverly McKenna, David Baker, Edwin Buggage, and Terry Jones. The discussion centers on the history and continued importance of Black publications in New Orleans, particularly since Hurricane Katrina. Discussion addresses how the Black press has historically been a source of news and information for the Black community, especially when mainstream media outlets ignored or misrepresented Black stories. This role continues today, with Black press publications covering issues that are important to the Black community but often overlooked by mainstream media. The Black press has also been instrumental in exposing corruption and injustice, and in advocating for the rights of the Black community and holding elected officials and other powerful figures accountable. Discussion also covers how the Black press has helped to preserve Black history and how it has celebrated Black achievements. These positive and uplifting stories are important, especially in the face of ongoing challenges. Roberts and her interlocutors also discuss the challenges of maintaining a print publication in the digital age, emphasizing the importance of print media for both long-form journalism and in-depth coverage. They express hope for the future of the Black press, and they call on young people to get involved in understanding its history and shaping its future.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1018985303/c6ee448f58?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Making of Afro-Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Making of Afro-Orleans
Author: Ned Sublette
Abstract: This lecture by Ned Sublette—historian, musicologist, and documentary producer—addresses the development of an Afro-Orleanian culture under slavery. It focuses on the city’s colonial past, the transatlantic slave trade, and the influence of various African nationalities, particularly those from the Senegambia and Kongo-Angola regions, on the city’s culture. New Orleans was shaped by French, Spanish, and American rule, each with distinct slave regimes and Black populations. The slave trade brought Africans from different regions, primarily Senegambia and Kongo-Angola, to Louisiana. The Senegambians at one time made up two-thirds of the city’s enslaved population, and had a crucial early influence. Senegambian music, with its melismatic style, swing rhythms, and ornamentation, resonated with French musical tastes and contributed to the distinctive New Orleans sound. The arrival of the Kongo people during the Spanish period added another layer to the city's music. Kongo music, with its straight rhythms and syllabic style, blended with the existing Senegambian influence. Under Spanish rule, New Orleans saw a more relaxed slave regime, which included the right to self-purchase. However, a covert slave trade also existed, with privateers like Jean Lafitte illegally selling enslaved Africans. In the nineteenth century, after the Louisiana Purchase, the United States ban on the international slave trade led to a booming domestic slave trade, with enslaved people from the Upper South, particularly Virginia, being transported to Louisiana, further shaping the city's demographics and culture. Despite its complex and often brutal history, New Orleans developed a vibrant and resilient culture, with African contributions playing an indisputably central role.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030378522/8174c905ff?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Haitian Revolution and its Impact on Louisiana (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Haitian Revolution and its Impact on Louisiana
Author: Ned Sublette
Abstract: This lecture by Ned Sublette—historian, musicologist, and documentary producer— explores the historical and cultural connections between Haiti and New Orleans, emphasizing their shared colonial past, African heritage, and shared cultural developments. Sublette explains the limited maritime contact between New Orleans and Haiti due to unfavorable ocean currents. However, he also notes that both cities faced south and shared a Catholic heritage, distinct from the Protestant Anglo-American colonies. Sublette offers background on the French colony of Saint-Domingue, its reliance on enslaved African labor, and the subsequent Haitian Revolution. He discusses the impact of the Haitian Revolution on New Orleans, including the enormous influx of refugees around the start of the nineteenth century. This mass migration from Haiti to New Orleans had a significant impact on the city’s music, religion, politics, cuisine, literature, and journalism. Sublette stresses the flow of revolutionary ideas from Haiti to New Orleans, the contributions made by Haitian actors to New Orleans’s early theater scene, and the influence of Haitian Vodou on the city’s spiritual practices. He outlines the significant African influence on both cultures, noting their common investment in African instruments and approaches to rhythm as well their development of cognate cultural practices, exemplified by the similarities between the New Orleans second line and Haitian rara parades.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030379229/7b0ee3b19e?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

New Orleans Political Economy After Reconstruction (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: New Orleans Political Economy After Reconstruction
Author: Thomas J. Adams
Abstract: This lecture by Thomas J. Adams (Associate Professor, History, University of South Alabama) explores the social and political shifts in New Orleans from the end of the Civil War to the Jim Crow era. Adams begins by discussing the Reconstruction era, a time of great hope and possibility for African Americans in New Orleans. He highlights the importance of the 1868 Louisiana Constitution, which enshrined principles of universal male suffrage, integrated public schools, and Confederate disenfranchisement. However, this period was also marked by violence and resistance from white supremacist groups, such as the Knights of the White Camelia and the Crescent City White League. Adams then discusses the significant influx of African Americans to New Orleans from 1870 to 1920, which he refers to as the “first Great Migration.” This migration led to a more diverse and complex social landscape in the city, with tensions arising between different groups of African Americans as well as between African Americans and other immigrant communities. The late nineteenth century was a time of intense labor and social conflict in New Orleans. Adams highlights key events such as the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre, where striking sugar workers were killed by white supremacists, and the 1892 general strike, which involved a broad coalition of workers across industries. These events demonstrate the ongoing struggle for economic and political rights in the city. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw the rise of Jim Crow segregation and the disenfranchisement of African Americans in Louisiana. Adams discusses the consequences of these developments in New Orleans, including the emergence of separate Black institutions and the ongoing tensions between Creole and non-Creole African Americans. Adams concludes by discussing the emergence of the Civil Rights Movement in New Orleans, highlighting the role of organizations such as the NAACP and the Catholic Committee of the South.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030380145/8657ba4ad4?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

A Noble Life: Eulogy for Bennie Pete (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: A Noble Life: Eulogy for Bennie Pete
Author: Michael G. White
Abstract: This is the eulogy offered by Michael White at the funeral for Bennie Pete, the leader of the Hot 8 Brass Band. From two different generations—one committed to upholding a traditional early 20th century repertoire of songs and the other to tearing up the streets with new music written about their own experiences—the two band leaders, Michael White and Bennie Pete, formed a friendship that is vital to remember in the history of jazz. This film was shot by Noé Cugny and edited by Ted Morée. It is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1018989676/383be1a6b8?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Bennie Pete: A Collective Love (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Bennie Pete: A Collective Love
Author: Neighborhood Story Project
Abstract: This footage from the funeral procession for Bennie Pete, the leader of the Hot 8 Brass Band, is a companion to the short film, A Noble Life: Eulogy for Bennie Pete. It was shot by Noé Cugny and edited by Ted Morée. It is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030397006/7cbf6a6b3a?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Light Rock and Bounce (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Light Rock and Bounce
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: Rachel Carrico
Abstract: This film is an introduction to how to listen to a brass band when you dance. It was produced by Rachel Breunlin with anthropologist of dance Rachel Carrico, and two legendary second line dancers, Don Robertson and Terrylin Dorsey, who take students through different styles of second line footwork that has developed from the mid 20th century to today. Filmed at Seal’s Class Act in the Seventh Ward, they dance to our recorded songs with original members of the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Bands, including “EB Blues,” a traditional brass band song, the Dirty Dozen’s “Snoball,” and Rebirth’s “Feel Like Funkin It Up.” It also includes To Be Continued Brass Band’s “Sunday” to demonstrate the music that is currently driving the contemporary second line scene. It is accompanied by an essay by Rachel Carrico who writes about the importance of social dancing in New Orleans, how it is related to other musical and dance forms of the African diaspora. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1022294097/73c68896eb?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Creole Dance Music (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Creole Dance Music
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Abstract: This short film, produced by Bruce Sunpie Barnes and Rachel Breunlin and filmed by Ted Morée, is an introduction to Creole accordion music in Louisiana. It features interviews with Barnes and Leroy Etienne, as well Barnes’s accordion mentor, Clayton Sampy, who share the connections between Creole musicians in south Louisiana in the development of zydeco music. The film includes original music from Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots and highlights a song from a lala (dance) with Creole fiddler D’Jalma Garnier, who sings one of his own songs, “La Vi Maron,” which is subtitled in Louisiana Creole and English. The film is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture. It was created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024440317/f550d62760?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Hey Nom (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Hey Nom
Author: Leroy Etienne
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Hey Nom" by Leroy Etienne, is a companion to the short film, Creole Dance Music. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UzQYpCXylqz9TbkvtuLZkhp_FoXjb7O_/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Nonc Beloute (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Nonc Beloute
Author: Leroy Etienne
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Nonc Beloute" by Leroy Etienne, is a companion to the short film, Creole Dance Music. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V8QHlvX_li1EJVuEcNqbgqDoqUcFa_ok/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

La Vi Maron (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: La Vi Maron
Author: D'Jalma Garnier
Author: Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots
Abstract: This original audio recording, "La Vi Maron" by D'Jalma Garnier and Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, is a companion to the short film, Creole Dance Music. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r3icvbMbsJfmZ7dhFxIdgcmLIdqPQymJ/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Dambala [Film] (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Dambala [Film]
Author: Kai Knight
Abstract: In this short film, African Diasporic dance professor Kai Knight, who has been at the forefront of the African dance movement in New Orleans since the 1990s, takes students through a dance dedicated to Dambala, the serpent of wisdom in Haitian vodou. It begins with her dancing the song by herself in slow motion with her narration of movements, and then transitions to a live performance of the dance with Kai Knight’s Cultural Ties Dance Collective at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, as part of an honoring of the life work of Louisiana artist Tina Giraourd, who studied Haitian sequence arts in Port-au-Prince. The film showcases one of her drapo (flag) dedicated to Dambala, as well as photographs of a Dambala-Wedo ceremony at a sacred waterfall in Haiti from Sydney Byrd’s archive, courtesy of the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic. The drums were led by Logan Schutts, who was a long-term apprentice with Damas “Fan Fan” Louis.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024418649/593add9efc?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Dambala [Audio] (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Dambala [Audio]
Author: Marie Carmel Loiseau
Author: Damas 'Fan Fan' Louis
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Dambala" by Marie Carmel Loiseau and Damas 'Fan Fan' Louis, is a companion to the short film, Dambala. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ep3GzdFkapLKkqkq1UsxRvbiqx1J4dCA/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Legba (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Legba
Author: Marie Carmel Loiseau
Author: Damas 'Fan Fan' Louis
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Legba" by Marie Carmel Loiseau and Damas 'Fan Fan' Louis, is a companion to the short film, Dambala. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ab9tfUPTzRn7Ka1dKNIFFqdYwE8nO-Q5/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

From the Heart, Inside Da Lab (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: From the Heart, Inside Da Lab
Author: Bernard Robertson
Author: Wendell Carter
Author: Kendrick Johnson
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: This short film is shot by Percy Francois III, edited by Ted Morée, and produced by Neighborhood Story Project with Sudan Social and Pleasure Club and Cayetano Hingle, the leader of the New Birth Brass Band. It features interviews with Sudan club members while they are working on preparations for their annual second line parade as well as archival images and film footage from The Historic New Orleans Collection of the cultural arts organization Tamborine and Fan. The film explores the creative legacies of Tamborine and Fan within Sudan as it celebrates their 40th anniversary parade. It is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024470720/e8820bd203?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Glass House Revisited (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Glass House Revisited
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: Matt Sakakeeny
Author: Roger Lewis
Abstract: This film was produced by Rachel Breunlin, Matt Sakakeeny, and Roger Lewis. It was shot and edited by Lily Keber and Ted Morée with audio produced by Jake Eckhart of Fat Back Records. It features a live musical performance featuring original members of the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Bands, including Roger Lewis (baritone sax), James Andrews (trumpet), Gregory Davis (trumpet), Keith Frazier (bass drum), John Gilbert (saxophone), and Reginald Steward (trombone), Benny Jones, Sr. (bass drum), Stafford Agee (trombone), and A.J. Mallory (snare drum). Emceed by DJ Jubilee, the event features dancing by members of Social and Pleasure Clubs. Overlaying this music and dance with audio from oral histories produced by Neighborhood Story Project and archival film footage shot by Alan Lomax in the 1970s, the film explores community institutions that nurture creativity through music and social dance.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1014600480/ace2ca61fa?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Put Your Right Foot Forward (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Put Your Right Foot Forward
Author: The Glass House Revisited Band
Abstract: this
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sSROfG9qNF72RW5PnM_QMbkd3V9S8aGm/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: This original audio recording, "Put Your Right Foot Forward" by the Glass House Revisited Band, is a companion to the short film, The Glass House Revisited. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Audience: Undergraduate

Dirty Old Man (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Dirty Old Man
Author: The Glass House Revisited Band
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Dirty Old Man," composed by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and recorded by the Glass House Revisited Band, is a companion to the short film, The Glass House Revisited. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10QtRc1sAVVqZSaDMhk2nOTyaFtVRc48B/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

EB Blues (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: EB Blues
Author: The Glass House Revisited Band
Abstract: This original audio recording, "EB Blues," a tradtional composition recorded by the Glass House Revisited Band, is a companion to the short film, The Glass House Revisited. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16EaqTxN0Sk-S053GFgmBo5BBwQW_K3Lj/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

I Feel Like Funkin' It Up (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: I Feel Like Funkin' It Up
Author: The Glass House Revisited Band
Abstract: This original audio recording, "I Feel Like Funkin' It Up," composed by the Rebirth Brass Band and recorded by the Glass House Revisited Band, is a companion to the short film, The Glass House Revisited. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RVW9Hbxnog80B3-CjI3HRyXybwI5KRAq/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Guiding Star (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Guiding Star
Author: Herlin Riley
Author: Joe Lastie
Author: Neighborhood Story Project
Abstract: his short film, produced by Neighborhood Story Project with legendary jazz drummers Herlin Riley and Joe Lastie, centers their family’s Spiritual Church in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, and includes archival images of Mother Catherine Seal’s Temple of Innocent Blood in the Lower Ninth Ward where their grandfather learned to play the drums, as well as other images from Spiritual churches in the city by photographer Syndey Byrd, courtesy of the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic.At the core of the film is a live concert that Herlin and Joe hosted with Neighborhood Story Project at the Marigny Opera House for All Saints Day, featuring Tonya Boyd-Cannon (vocals), Gregg Stafford (trumpet), Louis Ford (saxophone), Rickie Monie (piano), and Mark Brooks (bass). This film is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1022294453/6d067e49e1?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Precious Lord (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Precious Lord
Author: Tonya Boyd Cannon
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Precious Lord" by Tonya Boyd Cannon , is a companion to the short film, Guiding Star. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eKoFi05RPINDgX5EmO5-LG_utFpxRDnE/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Get Right Church, I'm Going Home Medley (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Get Right Church, I'm Going Home Medley
Author: Herlin Riley
Author: Joe Lastie
Author: Tonya Boyd-Cannon
Author: Gregg Stafford
Author: Louis Ford
Author: Rickie Monie
Author: Mark Brooks
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Get Right Church, I'm Going Home Medley" by Herlin Riley, Joe Lastie, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Gregg Stafford, Louis Ford, Rickie Monie, and Mark Brooks, is a companion to the short film, Guiding Star. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T9KrXd2TNfn8mU7aHqkwFC-00hKqoXdw/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Glory, Glory (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Glory, Glory
Author: Herlin Riley
Author: Joe Lastie
Author: Tonya Boyd-Cannon
Author: Gregg Stafford
Author: Louis Ford
Author: Rickie Monie
Author: Mark Brooks
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Glory, Glory" by Herlin Riley, Joe Lastie, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Gregg Stafford, Louis Ford, Rickie Monie, and Mark Brooks, is a companion to the short film, Guiding Star. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13NZDfU3aBLaBQX9Do41iRX58TEpuGIas/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Just A Little While to Stay Here (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Just A Little While to Stay Here
Author: Herlin Riley
Author: Joe Lastie
Author: Tonya Boyd-Cannon
Author: Gregg Stafford
Author: Louis Ford
Author: Rickie Monie
Author: Mark Brooks
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Just A Little While to Stay Here" by Herlin Riley, Joe Lastie, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Gregg Stafford, Louis Ford, Rickie Monie, and Mark Brooks, is a companion to the short film, Guiding Star. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mR98wJH1Z6Cwjuj8yGsUUogEi7Ucui5P/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Remember Me (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Remember Me
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Abstract: This original audio recording, "Remember Me" by Bruce Sunpie Barnes, is a companion to the short film, Guiding Star. It is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1trfbsxhBCebYAgtKRrhfyFnolsheVYlA/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Nou Ka Travay | We Are Working: Gwoka in Guadeloupe (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Nou Ka Travay | We Are Working: Gwoka in Guadeloupe
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: Kathe Managan
Author: Franck 'Zagalo' Geoffroy
Abstract: This introductory film to gwoka music in Guadeloupe draws on the long-term friendship and research collaboration between Creole linguist Kathe Managan (based in Louisiana) and Franck “Zagalo” Geoffroy, one of the leaders of Kan’nida, one of the leading gwoka bands in Martinique. The film incorporates archival footage with contemporary gatherings for the bode a nwel celebrations during the Christmas season. The film is narrated by Zagalo entirely in Guadeloupean Creole, with subtitles in both Creole and English, to give students an opportunity to hear and see the differences between Creole languages in Louisiana and the Caribbean. A companion essay by Kathe Managan provides an introduction to the history and contemporary experiences of gwoka in Guadeloupe. The film can also be taught alongside Dédé St. Prix’s interview, where he discusses the importance of gwoka drumming as an inspiration for the revival of drumming in Martinique.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024456101/ff97bd5ef8?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

How to Build an Altar (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: How to Build an Altar
Author: Sula Evans
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: Filmed on location at the Temple of Light, Ilé de Coin Coin, a shrine in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans dedicated to the elevation of all souls, Mami Wata priestess Sula Evans explains how to build personal and collective altars that draw from West African cosmologies. The film begins with Sula Evans singing a song to Mami Wata, a lwa in the Ewe vodou tradition, and weaves in Tonya Boyd Cannon’s “Precious Lord.” This film is produced and distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024424963/22d6d7da5d?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

La Ruta de los Fundamentos (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: La Ruta de los Fundamentos
Author: Ned Sublette
Abstract: A documentary film by Ned Sublette produced in sacred and secular settings in western Cuba and focusing on Yoruba and Kongo music in Matanzas, Jovellanos, Pedro Betancourt, Pinar del Río, Melena del Sur, and Havana. This film is distributed by An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1030381831/1517e2ac6a?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Learning Languages Through Songs (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Learning Languages Through Songs
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: Leyla McCalla
Author: Louis Michot
Abstract: This short film includes interviews with Haitian-American singer-songwriter Leyla McCalla and Grammy-award winning musician Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, who perform music together in French, Louisiana Creole, and Haitian Creole. It includes footage of their performances of a traditional Haitian troubadour song, “Twa Fey” (Three Leaves) and Canray Fontenot’s “Les Plats Tous Mis Sur La Table” in Louisiana French with subtitles in both languages. Leyla discusses the class dynamics involved in code-switching between French and Creole in the Haitian community, while Louis discusses the importance of opening one’s ears to the variations in language to find mutual understanding. They both encourage students to connect to their own home or ancestral languages, and to see music as a route into the learning process.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024441820/286ca30928?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Lizette Suite (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Lizette Suite
Author: Les Cenelles
Abstract: A performance of the Lizette Suite by Les Cenelles that reimagines and recontextualizes the traditional arrangement by Camille Nickerson. This film is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024449660/2211d5f2ae?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Remember Me: Cemeteries as Community History (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Remember Me: Cemeteries as Community History
Author: Antoinette Jackson
Abstract: This short film was created by Antoinette Jackson, the founder of the Black Cemeteries Network, shot by Percy Francois III, and edited by Ted Morée. The film is set at Lafayette No. 2 and Holt Cemeteries in New Orleans, and it features the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors, the New Birth Brass Band, Sudan Social and Pleasure Club, and Nana Sula Evans. It shares the importance of investing in the stories and material infrastructures of cemeteries. The soundtrack for the film is “Remember Me” by Bruce Sunpie Barnes, an original recording made for this project.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1022560915/d3e0a85ca9?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Rest in Peace All Ye Who Labored (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Rest in Peace All Ye Who Labored
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: Norman Dixon Jr.
Author: Gregg Stafford
Abstract: This film was produced by Rachel Breunlin, Norman Dixon Jr., and Gregg Stafford and shot and edited by Lily Keber and Ted Morée in close collaboration with the Young Men Olympian, Jr. Benevolent Association (YMO) and the Young Tuxedo Brass Band. It focuses on the history of the YMO organization and their commitment to traditional jazz funerals and the maintenance of their society tombs in Lafayette No. 2 Cemetery. The music was recorded on location in Central City and features Gregg Stafford (trumpet), Ronnell Johnson (sousaphone), Anthony Bennett (bass drum), Vernon Servein (snare drum), Raymond William (trumpet), Michael White (clarinet), Edward Boh Paris (trombone), Louis Ford (saxophone), Dwayne Burns (trumpet).
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/901305512/880210294c?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

Singing for the Spirits (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Singing for the Spirits
Author: Sula Evans
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: In this film, priestess Sula Evans explains her relationship with Mami Wata and how she has developed relationships with other spirits whom she communicates with through song. She explains she learned a Haitian song for Papa Legba, also known as Eshu in West Africa, from the houngan Damas “Fan Fan” Louis. The film moves between Fan Fan and Sula saluting the cardinal directions, and then shares Sula singing the song with subtitles in Haitian Creole and English. The film is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024433780/47aee3b55c?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Spirit of Fi Yi Yi: How to Sew a Beaded Patch (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Spirit of Fi Yi Yi: How to Sew a Beaded Patch
Author: Victor Harris
Author: Jack Robertson
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: This film was produced by Neighborhood Story Project with Big Chief Victor Harris and Master Designer Jack Robertson to demonstrate how to sew in the Fi Yi Yi tradition. Victor grew up in Tambourine and Fan and was the flagboy of the Yellow Pocahontas for many years. When he formed his own tribe, he became known for masking in an “African-style” with a full facial mask. The film includes beautiful footage of Victor coming out of the Backstreet Cultural Museum in 2024—the year he retired as the longest masking Big Chief in the history of the tradition. The film features a traditional song from Guinea, “Dinini Kemba,” by Malinke musicians Sidiki Conde and Wowo Souakoli with Bruce Sunpie Barnes. This film is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, and the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024472803/6ee9dbf1a9?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Inside of Good Luck: Kalamu ya Salaam (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Inside of Good Luck: Kalamu ya Salaam
Author: Kalamu ya Salaam
Abstract: The Inside of Good Luck is a series of short films conceived and convened by Mona Lisa Saloy and Rachel Breunlin and dedicated to longstanding Black Arts traditions in New Orleans poetry. The series features performances by Sunni Patterson, Quo Vadis Breaux, Kalamu ya Salaam, Karisma Price, and Arthur “Arturo” Pfister as well as Mona Lisa Saloy. This video was shot and edited by Percy Francois III and Ted Morée with artwork by Tyler Rosebush. This installment features Kalamu ya Salaam -- an activist, educator, filmmaker, writer, editor and poet -- who is the author of numerous books and pamphlets. His latest publications include PRECISE TENDERNESS (Third World Press 2023), The Magic Of Juju: An Appreciation Of The Black Arts Movement (Third World Press, 2016), New Orleans Griot—The Tom Dent Reader (University of New Orleans Press 2017), and Be About Beauty (University of New Orleans Press 2018).
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024478275/86c2a4fbab?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Inside of Good Luck: Arturo Pfister (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Inside of Good Luck: Arturo Pfister
Author: Arturo Pfister
Abstract: The Inside of Good Luck is a series of short films conceived and convened by Mona Lisa Saloy and Rachel Breunlin and dedicated to longstanding Black Arts traditions in New Orleans poetry. The series features performances by Sunni Patterson, Quo Vadis Breaux, Kalamu ya Salaam, Karisma Price, and Arthur “Arturo” Pfister as well as Mona Lisa Saloy. This installment features Arturo Pfister, a poet and fiction writer from New Orleans, who is a Spoken Word artist, educator, performer, editor and speechwriter. One of the original Broadside poets of the 1960s, has collaborated on a medley of projects with a mélange of artists including painters, musicians, photographers, dancers, singers, fire eaters, waiters, cab drivers, and other members of the Great Miscellaneous. His work has appeared in such diverse publications as FAHARI, the American Poetry Review, the Shooting Star Review, the Minnesota Review, the Gallery Mirror, EBONY, From a Bend in the River, Word Up, the Chicory Review, the New Laurel Review, the New Orleans Tribune, New York Quarterly, Chickenbones, Black Spirits, A Broadside Treasury, and Swapping Stories: Folktales From Louisiana. He teaches at Norwalk Community College in Connecticut.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024515649/34b9d61143?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Inside of Good Luck: Karisma Price (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Inside of Good Luck: Karisma Price
Author: Karisma Price
Abstract: The Inside of Good Luck is a series of short films conceived and convened by Mona Lisa Saloy and Rachel Breunlin and dedicated to longstanding Black Arts traditions in New Orleans poetry. The series features performances by Sunni Patterson, Quo Vadis Breaux, Kalamu ya Salaam, Karisma Price, and Arthur “Arturo” Pfister as well as Mona Lisa Saloy. Shot and edited by Percy Francois III and Ted Morée and featuring artwork by Tyler Rosebush, The Inside of Good Luck was organized by Neighborhood Story Project and made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mellon Foundation, National Park Service, New Orleans Jazz Museum, and University of California at Berkeley’s Division of Arts and Humanities. This installment features Karisma Price, an assistant professor of English at Tulane University. A poet, screenwriter, and media artist, she is the author of I’m Always So Serious (Sarabande Books, 2023). Her work has appeared in publications including Poetry, Indiana Review, Oxford American, Four Way Review, Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day Series, and elsewhere. She is a Cave Canem Fellow, was a finalist for the 2019 Manchester Poetry Prize, and was awarded the 2020 J. Howard and Barbara M. J. Wood Prize from the Poetry Foundation. A native New Orleanian, she holds an MFA in poetry from New York University, where she was a Writers in the Public Schools Fellow.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024479933/e00971711e?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Inside of Good Luck: Mona Lisa Saloy (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Inside of Good Luck: Mona Lisa Saloy
Author: Mona Lisa Saloy
Abstract: The Inside of Good Luck is a series of short films conceived and convened by Mona Lisa Saloy and Rachel Breunlin and dedicated to longstanding Black Arts traditions in New Orleans poetry. The series features performances by Sunni Patterson, Quo Vadis Breaux, Kalamu ya Salaam, Karisma Price, and Arthur “Arturo” Pfister as well as Mona Lisa Saloy. This installment features Mona Lisa Saloy, former Louisiana Poet Laureate, who is an author, folklorist, educator, and scholar of Creole culture in articles, documentaries, and poems about Black New Orleans before and after Katrina, and Conrad N. Hilton Endowed Professor of English at Dillard University. Her first book, Red Beans & Ricely Yours, won the T.S. Eliot Prize and the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award. Her second, Second Line Home, celebrates New Orleans Black Creole culture. Saloy’s newest collection, Black Creole Chronicles: Poems (University of New Orleans Press 2023) was chosen as the One Book, One New Orleans city-wide reading.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024475946/42b531b022?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Inside of Good Luck: Quo Vadis Gex Breaux (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Inside of Good Luck: Quo Vadis Gex Breaux
Author: Quo Vadis Gex Breaux
Abstract: The Inside of Good Luck is a series of short films conceived and convened by Mona Lisa Saloy and Rachel Breunlin and dedicated to longstanding Black Arts traditions in New Orleans poetry. The series features performances by Sunni Patterson, Quo Vadis Breaux, Kalamu ya Salaam, Karisma Price, and Arthur “Arturo” Pfister as well as Mona Lisa Saloy. This installment features Quo Vadis Gex Breaux—author, editor, grant writer, and cultural activist—who has published poetry, essays and creative non-fiction in a number of anthologies including Uncommon-Place: An Anthology of Contemporary Louisiana Poets; Trouble the Waters: 250 Years of African-American Poetry; and many issues of the journal Nkumbo. A former Executive Director of the Center of Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal, Quo Vadis worked with volunteers dedicated to the recovery of New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024478916/f9fd8bbfef?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

The Inside of Good Luck: Sunni Patterson (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Inside of Good Luck: Sunni Patterson
Author: Sunni Patterson
Abstract: The Inside of Good Luck is a series of short films conceived and convened by Mona Lisa Saloy and Rachel Breunlin and dedicated to longstanding Black Arts traditions in New Orleans poetry. The series features performances by Sunni Patterson, Quo Vadis Breaux, Kalamu ya Salaam, Karisma Price, and Arthur “Arturo” Pfister as well as Mona Lisa Saloy. This installment features Sunni Patterson is an internationally acclaimed poet, performer, and an initiated priestess and minister. She currently serves as a Resident Artist for both the City of New Orleans’ Claiborne Corridor Cultural Initiative and Junebug Productions. She also works as a Community Health Worker and Artist Influencer with Ashé Cultural Arts Center. Sunni is co-founder of the Environmental Arts and Public Health Organization, Breath is Lyfe, along with Scientist and Atmospheric Chemist, Cherelle Blazer, where they create programming and events that translate science through art, culture, and community action. Patterson is most recently the author of We Know This Place (University of New Orleans Press 2022).
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/1024477106/6dccbc418b?share=copy
Audience: Undergraduate

An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture: Terms of Use (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture: Terms of Use
Author: Bryan Wagner
Abstract: This document describes the terms of use to which university and high school educators agree before they access materials made available through An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GndLG7ykD_evWemobJkkbhtlghsNMIQO/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture: Reference List (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture: Reference List
Author: Bryan Wagner
Abstract: Reference list for the first installment of teaching resources shared by An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YZibWzgc6Q6AeZTgBK5Jn-yQ1uVOT6k0/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture: Project Overview (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture: Project Overview
Author: Bryan Wagner
Abstract: Publicity material providing an overview of An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PaOlM88rRNoSuK_p2xa6DZN_kwKSgq71/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture: First Installment (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture: First Installment
Author: Bryan Wagner
Abstract: Publicity material describing the first installment of teaching resources shared by An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eu9C76aNQjNNnAKHhiWsYX0KtqI0Nhoj/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

The African American Poetry of New Orleans (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The African American Poetry of New Orleans
Author: T. R. Johnson
Abstract: This essay is a guide for educators describing available resources for teaching African American poetry from New Orleans. It offers a survey of significant poets and their works, with a particular focus on Brenda Marie Osbey. The document begins with an introduction that outlines its purpose and provides questions for reflection and discussion. It is broken into six units. Unit 1, The Songs of Congo Square and of the Slave Coffles, explores early forms of African American expression in New Orleans through songs, including songs sung in Congo Square and the slave coffles. Unit 2, Afro-Creole Poets, focuses on the Afro-Creole poets of the nineteenth century, including Les Cenelles, analyzing their love poems as potential political allegories. Unit 3, Black Modernist Poets from New Orleans, examines the works by Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Margaret Walker, and Marcus B. Christian, analyzing themes of identity, justice, and Black experience. Unit 4, Black Poetry in New Orleans During the Civil Rights and Black Power Era and Their Long Aftermath, surveys the work of poets such as Bob Kaufman, Tom Dent, Kalamu Ya Salaam, Alvin Aubert, Arthur Pfister, Mona Lisa Saloy, and Natasha Trethewey. It analyzes their responses to social and political pressures and their contributions to the Black Arts Movement. Unit 5, The Poetry of Brenda Marie Osbey, examines the poetry of Brenda Marie Osbey, exploring in particular the nexus of history and spirituality in her work. Unit 6, Black Poetry in the Aftermath of Katrina, surveys the poetry written after the storm, exploring themes of loss and resilience in poetry by Patricia Smith, Niyi Osundare, Mona Lisa Saloy, and Karisma Price. The essay also includes a comprehensive bibliography of resources for further study.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Wo9MqMUQuJ3CSVVAGrqpo8jyNvPgsml/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Shake It and Break It (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Shake It and Break It
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tq_Vx6fxhOe8cmv9hlFUjZFTsHF5Q3gM/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Fidgety Feet (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Fidgety Feet
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FHub0Nh2xzenDnWLT2uM6IVSLWRVBfyE/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

In the Sweet By and By (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: In the Sweet By and By
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: hold
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lccUBrrcR60Qi7dfF4LyjLxbn7bOBVPs/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Just a Closer Walk with Thee (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bFxu_W9Re6_wXXNOylGQirf1TeHjTw5t/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

St. Louis Blues (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: St. Louis Blues
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17qSWVEu3U3deOnW-SubOzicChoQXrPDD/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Tin Roof Blues (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Tin Roof Blues
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yI1jbnbAz05fSNJEVfZEXh404da3eoy0/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

St. Philip Street Breakdown (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: St. Philip Street Breakdown
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TgIAz9-zQW1Tp91SddWEqZx4Oz6X4ibB/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Burgundy Street Blues (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Burgundy Street Blues
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xVxRIMlb9nXlgSH8pJNuJZwBiyw4hhkh/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

A Song for Oscar Dunn: A Day in the Sun (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: A Song for Oscar Dunn: A Day in the Sun
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TuEN20Cm6vtywFn8NKVIIY23489kcaSo/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Gypsy Second Line (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Gypsy Second Line
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: hold
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XovDWZx6PvowlmXwQSb37HnrZu2paoep/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz.
Audience: Undergraduate

Bourbon Street Parade (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Bourbon Street Parade
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QnP5DMxxVhRUXhFqDg8n-I4r8A0sd82Y/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Careless Love (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Careless Love
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dShL0jTVNteh5OxFTPnWgZ21VNxniYf2/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Joe Avery's Piece (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Joe Avery's Piece
Author: Original Liberty Jazz Band
Abstract: This recording is by the Original Liberty Jazz Band whose members are Michael White on clarinet; Gregg Stafford on trumpet; Frederick Lonzo on trombone; Detroit Brooks on banjo; Mitchell Player on bass; and Herman Lebeaux on drums. The recording is a companion to a curriculum essay by Michael White (Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Xavier University) that details the origins and evolution of jazz. It emphasizes the distinctive cultural and political history of New Orleans—including its blend of French, Spanish, and African influences and its public emphasis on celebration and pleasure-seeking—created a fertile ground for the development of jazz. White discusses the varied musical traditions that existed in New Orleans in the nineteenth century, including opera, classical music, military marching bands, and the African drumming and dancing at Congo Square. White explains the impact of Reconstruction and its aftermath on jazz, noting how the black community’s struggle for freedom found expression in this new musical form, and traces the role of self-help and mutual aid organizations in supporting musical ensembles. White explores the related genres and song types that helped to shape early jazz, including ragtime, blues, hymns, and spirituals. He provides examples of how these genres contributed to the development of jazz's distinctive style and sound. White argues that jazz was not just a form of entertainment but also a powerful expression of aspirations for freedom, equality, and individual expression. The essay closes by describing accompanying listening examples performed by the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which showcase various genres and approaches within the longstanding tradition of New Orleans jazz.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T_rNDpuq5rQ7L-MOdK6P_WkYkOcYpV-o/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Social and Pleasure Club Narratives (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Social and Pleasure Club Narratives
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: This is a compilation of narratives from members of Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs in New Orleans. These narratives were collected by Rachel Breunlin for the Historic New Orleans Collection. The narratives center on the experiences and perspectives of club members, offering insights into the history, traditions, and cultural significance of these organizations. The narratives are told in the first person, allowing club members to share their personal stories and reflections on their involvement in the clubs. The narratives touch on various themes, including the importance of community, the role of music and dance, the challenges faced by the clubs, and the resilience of New Orleans culture and are accompanied by photographs of parades and club members.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AfAl5O21ZXqqoSS2IpSp0Anku4CDKxqD/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Rest in Peace All Ye Who Labored: New Orleans Municipal Cemeteries Through Archives, Oral Histories, and Repertoires (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Rest in Peace All Ye Who Labored: New Orleans Municipal Cemeteries Through Archives, Oral Histories, and Repertoires
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: This teaching module was edited by Rachel Breunlin and developed with support from historical archaeologist D. Ryan Gray in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of New Orleans. It includes a series of oral histories that were produced with local families and cemetery attendants (also known as grave diggers). These oral histories were commissioned by the New Orleans Cemetery Division and funded by the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office. This module focuses on various important topics, including the reuse of burial sites in New Orleans; the development of Lafayette No. 1 and 2 cemeteries; the work of the Young Men Olympian, Jr. Benevolent Association in maintaining its collective tombs; and Holt Cemetery, the most famous “free land” cemetery in New Orleans, which is now caught up in controversy over municipal regulations targeting allegedly unmarked burial sites. With this module, students from many places can use New Orleans as a case study to explore their own cemeteries and as a way to understand how cemeteries are connected to community histories. This teaching module is a collaboration facilitated by Neighborhood Story Project and made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California at Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17q4_vizFSv4dLzoaAWcClF1DYXxABKTY/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Mother Catherine (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Mother Catherine
Author: Zora Neale Hurston
Abstract: This is one of five "common readings" shared with university and high school educators whose students will work together on collective digital annotation using the Hypothesis platform. This will connect classrooms at types of institutions, at various educational levels, at locations not only in New Orleans but also elsewhere -- supporting student learning through broad-based collaboration.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ydVsCBWA2O7tkpmH28l9Jbi8DKmfNqFk/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Le Mulatre (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Le Mulatre
Author: Victor Sejour
Abstract: This is one of five "common readings" shared with university and high school educators whose students will work together on collective digital annotation using the Hypothesis platform. This will connect classrooms at types of institutions, at various educational levels, at locations not only in New Orleans but also elsewhere -- supporting student learning through broad-based collaboration.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xId8RdUpJzeJJzYYsXZZ4eeN_3gLW_pT/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

The Freedman's Case in Equity (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Freedman's Case in Equity
Author: George Washington Cable
Abstract: This is one of five "common readings" shared with university and high school educators whose students will work together on collective digital annotation using the Hypothesis platform. This will connect classrooms at types of institutions, at various educational levels, at locations not only in New Orleans but also elsewhere -- supporting student learning through broad-based collaboration.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12yf6FmPW7LURnBfb2VQmhuFReNmExWA3/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Desiree's Baby (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Desiree's Baby
Author: Kate Chopin
Abstract: This is one of five "common readings" shared with university and high school educators whose students will work together on collective digital annotation using the Hypothesis platform. This will connect classrooms at types of institutions, at various educational levels, at locations not only in New Orleans but also elsewhere -- supporting student learning through broad-based collaboration.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ULCvF67NHSPAwUeopc1Gkz9BFra3jPDw/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Stones of the Village (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Stones of the Village
Author: Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Abstract: This is one of five "common readings" shared with university and high school educators whose students will work together on collective digital annotation using the Hypothesis platform. This will connect classrooms at types of institutions, at various educational levels, at locations not only in New Orleans but also elsewhere -- supporting student learning through broad-based collaboration.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ULCvF67NHSPAwUeopc1Gkz9BFra3jPDw/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

New Orleans Municipal Cemeteries Through Archives Oral Histories, and Repertoires (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: New Orleans Municipal Cemeteries Through Archives Oral Histories, and Repertoires
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: D. Ryan Gray
Abstract: This teaching module was edited by Rachel Breunlin and historical archaeologist D. Ryan Gray in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of New Orleans. It includes a series of oral histories that were produced with local families and cemetery attendants (also known as grave diggers). These oral histories were commissioned by the New Orleans Cemetery Division and funded by the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office. This module focuses on various important topics, including the reuse of burial sites in New Orleans; the development of Lafayette No. 1 and 2 cemeteries; the work of the Young Men Olympian, Jr. Benevolent Association in maintaining its collective tombs; and Holt Cemetery, the most famous “free land” cemetery in New Orleans, which is now caught up in controversy over municipal regulations targeting allegedly unmarked burial sites. With this module, students from many places can use New Orleans as a case study to explore their own cemeteries and as a way to understand how cemeteries are connected to community histories.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17q4_vizFSv4dLzoaAWcClF1DYXxABKTY/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Listening to History with Opera Créole (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Listening to History with Opera Créole
Author: Givonna Joseph
Abstract: Opera Créole, based in New Orleans, is directed by Givonna Joseph and dedicated to researching and performing opera and classical music by people of color. These liner notes are a companion to a series of live recordings that Bryan Wagner and Neighborhood Story Project produced with Opera Créole in December 2021. The mastering and distribution of these materials was made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19QDrkfqo7Zhsa3RckvmEaP-NTAMbamtB/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Cher Mo Leme Twa (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Cher Mo Leme Twa
Author: Opera Créole
Author: Givonna Joseph
Abstract: Opera Créole, based in New Orleans, is directed by Givonna Joseph and dedicated to researching and performing opera and classical music by people of color. This is one in a series of live recordings that Bryan Wagner and Neighborhood Story Project produced with Opera Créole in December 2021. The mastering and distribution of these materials was made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fH8ChfeFWlKBsD8q-uOnoXr-uuw6TmH5/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Lions of Reconstruction (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Lions of Reconstruction
Author: Opera Créole
Author: Givonna Joseph
Abstract: Opera Créole, based in New Orleans, is directed by Givonna Joseph and dedicated to researching and performing opera and classical music by people of color. This is one in a series of live recordings that Bryan Wagner and Neighborhood Story Project produced with Opera Créole in December 2021. The mastering and distribution of these materials was made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ou-0zHcmphjCfnbUej1qmXEuySz_OoOM/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Lizette (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Lizette
Author: Givonna Joseph
Author: Opera Créole
Abstract: Opera Créole, based in New Orleans, is directed by Givonna Joseph and dedicated to researching and performing opera and classical music by people of color. This is one in a series of live recordings that Bryan Wagner and Neighborhood Story Project produced with Opera Créole in December 2021. The mastering and distribution of these materials was made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k1fcNuA8_muRWe_TBBNrWjzk2KCyn3eI/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Mephisto Masque (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Mephisto Masque
Author: Givonna Joseph
Author: Opera Créole
Abstract: Opera Créole, based in New Orleans, is directed by Givonna Joseph and dedicated to researching and performing opera and classical music by people of color. This is one in a series of live recordings that Bryan Wagner and Neighborhood Story Project produced with Opera Créole in December 2021. The mastering and distribution of these materials was made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1THPbPMQRHOTK0tWGdN3ia5SPI416BvuK/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Mon Pauvre Coeur (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Mon Pauvre Coeur
Author: Givonna Joseph
Author: Opera Créole
Abstract: Opera Créole, based in New Orleans, is directed by Givonna Joseph and dedicated to researching and performing opera and classical music by people of color. This is one in a series of live recordings that Bryan Wagner and Neighborhood Story Project produced with Opera Créole in December 2021. The mastering and distribution of these materials was made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17isdTjJq78uAwfksDRIGydJZU52HnSyD/view?usp=sharingq
Audience: Undergraduate

Walk Together Children (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Walk Together Children
Author: Givonna Joseph
Author: Opera Créole
Abstract: Opera Créole, based in New Orleans, is directed by Givonna Joseph and dedicated to researching and performing opera and classical music by people of color. This is one in a series of live recordings that Bryan Wagner and Neighborhood Story Project produced with Opera Créole in December 2021. The mastering and distribution of these materials was made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17WxPMKKpKgbp80WgJ200dQyGE6kqlpxN/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Oshun's Mirror and Fan (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Oshun's Mirror and Fan
Author: Sunni Patterson
Abstract: Poet and Oshun priestess Sunni Patterson guides students on how to approach the archetypal energies of the orishas in these meditations. Patterson's meditations explore themes of spirituality, activism, and the power of personal transformation. She shares personal stories, such as her experiences teaching at a public school and her journey through spiritual initiation. These anecdotes offer intimate insights into her life and the lessons she has learned. The writing is infused with spiritual teachings from various traditions, including Yoruba, Catholicism, and Ifá. Patterson discusses the concept of Ori (personal divinity), the Orisha (forces of nature), and the importance of ancestral connection. Patterson also meditates on social justice and activism, observing the importance of integrating spirituality with action in the world. These meditations often focus on the strength and wisdom of women. She pays homage to the “Great Mothers” and the powerful feminine energies that continue to guide and inspire her.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RcfNzADFswA2FoV0STEj7BVeWZ9CWOye/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

The Legacy of Tamborine and Fan (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Legacy of Tamborine and Fan
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: Tamborine and Fan is a cultural arts organization based in the Sixth and Seventh Wards of New Orleans. This essay uses oral histories to highlight the organization's impact on community activism, cultural preservation, and youth empowerment. Tamborine and Fan was founded by two civil rights organizers, Jerome Smith and Rudy Lombard, who were also co-founders of the New Orleans chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Since the 1970s, hundreds of young people participated in sports, parades, music, and carnival masking traditions that were sponsored by the organization. Many went on to coach younger children, and then started their own organizations that have continued to, in the words of Jerome Smith, “electrify the spirits” of their communities.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-t-8Grf1xNJt9pLuhvhGIwOJYAZvvhdO/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Deacon (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Deacon
Author: Les Cenelles
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Abstract: Les Cenelles, a contemporary string ensemble based in New Orleans, takes their name from a collection of Afro-Creole poetry from the city in the 1800s. The group concentrates on contemporary interpretations of Creole folk music, and also writes new songs in Louisiana Creole. Their contributions to An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture includes two new songs with Bruce Sunpie Barnes on accordion, Denise Frazier (violin), Demi Ward (viola), Joseph Darensbourg (vocals), and Peter Bowling (bass). Les Cenelles has also contributed an essay (reproduced with permission from Southern Cultures), a film, “The Lizette Suite,” and their recording of “Enba/Below.” Joseph Darensbourg has written new introductions to the songs and transcribed and translated the lyrics in Louisiana Creole and English.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1acQ6Umq-yutXbQU5jcio6GH-AJeUyFu9/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

En Bas (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: En Bas
Author: Les Cenelles
Abstract: Les Cenelles, a contemporary string ensemble based in New Orleans, takes their name from a collection of Afro-Creole poetry from the city in the 1800s. The group concentrates on contemporary interpretations of Creole folk music, and also writes new songs in Louisiana Creole. Their contributions to An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture includes two new songs with Bruce Sunpie Barnes on accordion, Denise Frazier (violin), Demi Ward (viola), Joseph Darensbourg (vocals), and Peter Bowling (bass). Les Cenelles has also contributed an essay (reproduced with permission from Southern Cultures), a film, “The Lizette Suite,” and their recording of “Enba/Below.” Joseph Darensbourg has written new introductions to the songs and transcribed and translated the lyrics in Louisiana Creole and English.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eN-HL2VLlpXuzR6mGuewFt9ID0JGgBkd/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Marie Mouri (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Marie Mouri
Author: Les Cenelles
Abstract: Les Cenelles, a contemporary string ensemble based in New Orleans, takes their name from a collection of Afro-Creole poetry from the city in the 1800s. The group concentrates on contemporary interpretations of Creole folk music, and also writes new songs in Louisiana Creole. Their contributions to An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture includes two new songs with Bruce Sunpie Barnes on accordion, Denise Frazier (violin), Demi Ward (viola), Joseph Darensbourg (vocals), and Peter Bowling (bass). Les Cenelles has also contributed an essay (reproduced with permission from Southern Cultures), a film, “The Lizette Suite,” and their recording of “Enba/Below.” Joseph Darensbourg has written new introductions to the songs and transcribed and translated the lyrics in Louisiana Creole and English.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13uksWnZ74oU84W6RlOwzp3tE-ml7tqlV/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Michie Preval (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Michie Preval
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Author: Les Cenelles
Abstract: Les Cenelles, a contemporary string ensemble based in New Orleans, takes their name from a collection of Afro-Creole poetry from the city in the 1800s. The group concentrates on contemporary interpretations of Creole folk music, and also writes new songs in Louisiana Creole. Their contributions to An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture includes two new songs with Bruce Sunpie Barnes on accordion, Denise Frazier (violin), Demi Ward (viola), Joseph Darensbourg (vocals), and Peter Bowling (bass). Les Cenelles has also contributed an essay (reproduced with permission from Southern Cultures), a film, “The Lizette Suite,” and their recording of “Enba/Below.” Joseph Darensbourg has written new introductions to the songs and transcribed and translated the lyrics in Louisiana Creole and English.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s1vTrMkdciA6ndPhjcPeO4WlkS5_imv3/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Memwa Nwa (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Memwa Nwa
Author: Denise Frazier
Author: Sultana Isham
Abstract: Les Cenelles, a contemporary string ensemble based in New Orleans, takes their name from a collection of Afro-Creole poetry from the city in the 1800s. The group concentrates on contemporary interpretations of Creole folk music, and also writes new songs in Louisiana Creole. Their contributions to An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture includes two new songs with Bruce Sunpie Barnes on accordion, Denise Frazier (violin), Demi Ward (viola), Joseph Darensbourg (vocals), and Peter Bowling (bass). Les Cenelles has also contributed an essay (reproduced with permission from Southern Cultures), a film, “The Lizette Suite,” and their recording of “Enba/Below.” Joseph Darensbourg has written new introductions to the songs and transcribed and translated the lyrics in Louisiana Creole and English.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QJZeocZP4y-hOAu2lGzG2kKS1WxbX1ZS/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Tremé 1908: Basemap (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Tremé 1908: Basemap
Author: Bryan Wagner
Abstract: This basemap is the infrastructure for a collaborative research project, Tremé 1908, which tells the story of one year in the everyday life of an extraordinary neighhorhood that was a crucible for civil rights activism, cultural fusion, and musical innovation. This project is ongoing and involves graduate and undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley as well as teachers, students, and independent scholars in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rd5B-PaTvQLVVSB641r6DDvvYdnhN2p7/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Voices from the Mississippi River Watershed (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Voices from the Mississippi River Watershed
Author: Monique Verdin
Abstract: Voices from the Mississippi River Watershed, created by Monique Verdin, an enrolled member of the Houma nation, is an audio series that connects Native stories of past and present with visions for Indigenous futures. At the end of the Mississippi River, where the Gulf waters meet the watershed there is a global port city called New Orleans, a place in Chata (Choctaw / Muskogean language) call Bvlbancha, place of babbling tongues, a place of many languages. Long before European settlers moved in to colonize the land and control the Mississippi, this high ground where many bayous once met the great river provided the fluid conditions to connect, to trade, to celebrate seasons, and a place where the bounty of the bottomland hardwood forests, cypress swamps and intertidal estuaries ensured subsistence and survival. A cradle of civilization in one of the worlds largest river basins, where thousand plus year old earthen structures along the Louisiana coast are now eroding into the sea due to coastal erosion, corporate extraction and climate change. Bvlbancha Liberation Radio emerged along the banks of Bayou Terrebonne at the Yakani Ekelanna, Yákanimat buk uske’ buk uktcakku’ ettadúkulu’ ékelannah “The land that is between Bayou Cane and Bayou Blue” where a garden and a disaster relief distribution site was activated in 2021 post-hurricane Ida. The Indigenous Environmental Network sent an audio engineer to teach Indigenous folks on the frontlines about the online and low power radio possibilities to support, inform and connect communities, especially during times of emergency. Since that time Bvlbancha Liberation Radio has operated as an Indigenous led, micro-grid communication and collective power building station based in Bvlbancha (New Orleans), providing Indigenous news, views, music and a community channel for environmental concerns in the greater Gulf South.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U9K_3p39zy9w7DadnJxd8uQCz6zDFevj/view?usp=sharing
Primary URL Description: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1se-A1PYJEHrUEQZIo-MA3YXiTcT4rREI/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Nanih Bvlbancha (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Nanih Bvlbancha
Author: Monique Verdin
Author: Tammy Greer
Abstract: Do you know when the last time a Nanih was built in Bvlbancha? Nanih is Chata (Choctaw) for mound and Bvlbancha is the place of babbling languages in the crescent city better known as New Orleans. Two United Houma Nation women, Dr. Tammy Greer and Monique Verdin, talk about the history of earthen Indigenous architecture along the Mississippi River watershed and the 2024 building of the Nanih Bvlbancha, a contemporary mound as part of the Artists of Public Memory initiative supported by Prospect New Orleans. Voices from the Mississippi River Watershed, created by Monique Verdin, an enrolled member of the Houma nation, is an audio series that connects Native stories of past and present with visions for Indigenous futures.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SNfteEiD7jU_ktAERFquYKYiS_fb-QfJ/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Mounds of the Mississippi (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Mounds of the Mississippi
Author: Tammy Greer
Author: Monique Verdin
Abstract: Do you know when the last time a Nanih was built in Bvlbancha? Nanih is Chata (Choctaw) for mound and Bvlbancha is the place of babbling languages in the crescent city better known as New Orleans. Two United Houma Nation women, Dr. Tammy Greer and Monique Verdin, talk about the history of earthen Indigenous architecture along the Mississippi River watershed and the 2024 building of the Nanih Bvlbancha, a contemporary mound as part of the Artists of Public Memory initiative supported by Prospect New Orleans. Voices from the Mississippi River Watershed, created by Monique Verdin, an enrolled member of the Houma nation, is an audio series that connects Native stories of past and present with visions for Indigenous futures.
Year: 2024
Audience: Undergraduate

Ancient Architecture of the Mississippi (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Ancient Architecture of the Mississippi
Author: Monique Verdin
Author: Amanda Mester
Abstract: Amanda Mester reports from the day of dialogue healing and reconciliation at the ancient Louisiana State University campus mounds in November 2023. Hear from Louisiana state archeologist Dr. Charles “Chip” McGimsey and anthropologist Dr. Rebecca Saunders who share what mounds in Louisiana can tell us about egalitarian hunter gather societies. Voices from the Mississippi River Watershed, created by Monique Verdin, an enrolled member of the Houma nation, is an audio series that connects Native stories of past and present with visions for Indigenous futures.
Year: 2024
Audience: Undergraduate

To Be Black and Indigenous (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: To Be Black and Indigenous
Author: Monique Verdin
Author: Andrew Jolivette
Abstract: Andrew Jolivette connects ancestral realities to contemporary conditions, complicating black and white narratives with Creole truths. In this lecture hosted by Dillard University, Jolivette shares histories, memories, strategies for survival tooted to kinship and poetry along the old Bayou Sauvage Gentilly ridge in Bvlbancha New Orleans. Voices from the Mississippi River Watershed, created by Monique Verdin, an enrolled member of the Houma nation, is an audio series that connects Native stories of past and present with visions for Indigenous futures.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_ME1Rc3LdMwGuNaFtXHy-N5pj58wrQRA/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Significant and Insignificant Mounds (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Significant and Insignificant Mounds
Author: Jennifer Colten
Author: Monique Verdin
Abstract: Have you ever heard of a place called Cahokia? This site is strategically situated where the Missouri, the Mississippi and the Illinois river where an earthen mound complex was once the site of the largest precolumbia metropolis north of Mexico. Photographer Jennifer Colton talked with the Neighborhood Story Project and Bvlbancha Liberation radio about Cahokia, the Mississippi, St. Louis,the American Bottom and a collaborative project she has been working on with Jesse Vogler, called Significant and Insignificant Mounds.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tUsHqfloWYYT8mSJU6C0a4NyDkp9F4-8/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Poetry from Bemidji (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Poetry from Bemidji
Author: Karen Goulet
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: In early 2022, when the Mississippi was just beginning to break through the ice in Bemidji Minnesota where the river flows through the lake, Anishinaabe poet and artist Karen Goutlet shared a few poems from the comfort of here cozy home, taking us on a journey through time, bearing witness to survival and reminding us it is our relationship to the water and to each other that matters most.
Year: 2024
Audience: Undergraduate

New Orleans Brass Bands Across the Generations (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: New Orleans Brass Bands Across the Generations
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: Matt Sakakeeny
Author: Rachel Carrico
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Abstract: This collaboratively authored teaching module introduces students to New Orleans brass bands through the lens of the neighborhood spirit and close friendships that have been the foundation of musical innovation in the city. It has an introduction that asks students to consider what their generation’s music is and how it helps to define the important experiences of their lives as well as essays by Rachel Carrico on second line dance; oral histories by Matt Sakakeeny with members of the Dirty Dozen, Rebirth, and Hot 8 Brass Bands; and selections from Talk That Music Talk: Passing on Brass Band Music the Traditional Way, a book on musical knowledge and musical generations in New Orleans created by Neighborhood Story Project.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J-ccHjRop8eYGFk31EhAnYv3FVWQ9x8M/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Creole Language and Music in Louisiana and the Caribbean (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Creole Language and Music in Louisiana and the Caribbean
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Author: Leroy Etienne
Author: Francis X. Pavy
Author: D’Jalma Garnier
Author: Denise Frazier
Author: Sultana Isham
Author: Dédé St. Prix
Author: Kathe Mangan
Abstract: This teaching module explores the interconnectedness of Creole language and music, highlighting their shared origins, evolution, and cultural significance in Louisiana and the Caribbean. Accompanied by short films and audio recordings, the module includes essays that provide historical and cultural context, as well as song lyrics transcribed in Louisiana Creole and translated into English. It incorporates oral histories from Creole speakers and musicians, providing firsthand accounts of the language's importance and its role in cultural identity, as well as excerpts from Rachel Breunlin, Bruce Sunpie Barnes, and Leroy Etienne’s collaborative musical ethnography, Le Kèr Creole: Creole Compositions and Stories from Louisiana. Leroy Etienne, one of the most well-regarded drummers in south Louisiana, grew up speaking Louisiana Creole and has played music with Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots for 30 years.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ektr8Y8xlKYrI_QiOSpF_xsJickX8LYi/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

La Vi Maron (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: La Vi Maron
Author: D'Jalma Garnier
Author: Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots
Abstract: This recording by D'Jalma Garnier and Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots accompanies the teaching module, Creole and Language and Music, which explores the interconnectedness of Creole language and music, highlighting their shared origins, evolution, and cultural significance in Louisiana and the Caribbean.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r3icvbMbsJfmZ7dhFxIdgcmLIdqPQymJ/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

San Malo (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: San Malo
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Abstract: This recording by Bruce Sunpie Barnes accompanies the teaching module, Creole and Language and Music, which explores the interconnectedness of Creole language and music, highlighting their shared origins, evolution, and cultural significance in Louisiana and the Caribbean.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yLFIVWNo7aEewkmXEONUqnPg9teaFMWE/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Shango (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Shango
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Abstract: This recording by Bruce Sunpie Barnes accompanies the teaching module, Creole and Language and Music, which explores the interconnectedness of Creole language and music, highlighting their shared origins, evolution, and cultural significance in Louisiana and the Caribbean.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TeL2ZjfNcLq0425z3L6ZwvjHRrBagO9r/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Life History and Songs (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Life History and Songs
Author: Dédé St. Prix
Abstract: Dédé St. Prix, a recipient of France’s Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, is widely considered to be one of the most important Creole musicians and scholars of Creole music in Martinique and around the francophone Caribbean. This life history was created by Neighborhood Story Project. It is accompanied by two live recordings of the songs, “Arréte Ton Délire” and “Krik é Krak.”
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19OLSFgXQI1pdyievacj6B4SFAmbD7BFt/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Krik e Krak (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Krik e Krak
Author: Dédé St. Prix
Abstract: Dédé St. Prix, a recipient of France’s Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, is widely considered to be one of the most important Creole musicians and scholars of Creole music in Martinique and around the francophone Caribbean. This life history was created by Neighborhood Story Project. It is accompanied by two live recordings of the songs, “Arréte Ton Délire” and “Krik é Krak.”
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14bV1bdBmdEynqaxd-kNhrpKgwNbVjDY5/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Arrête Ton Délire (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Arrête Ton Délire
Author: dede
Abstract: hold
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16EDTAZYd12JPEDwc05pFo1YZjRIfw_dj/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Giving Thanks (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Giving Thanks
Author: Sula Evans
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YYPEcuyGSuz-dDigsvltYbczThfb3ji1/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Guided Meditation (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Guided Meditation
Author: Dolores Watson
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M5blipFb-VzwHd84SXB29_ttr2crygCE/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Hoodoo Mama (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Hoodoo Mama
Author: Luisah Tiesh
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UoZcKUBLAWJP10Rv-hRLaWv6l3gCj1Bz/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Mami Wata (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Mami Wata
Author: Sula Evans
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cfZ5QSd2-G_-wvpUfOnvt5uEXV4swD9M/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Marie Laveau (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Marie Laveau
Author: Barbara Trevigne
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B2V7dGGEBhXijMf6kG3W8opF8PWpuN8E/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Oshun's River (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Oshun's River
Author: Luisah Teish
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DoIR8xqpDdwFW1wo_cWaW6cAthl3W5tU/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Psalm 23 (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Psalm 23
Author: Baderinwa Rolland
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lQJncu8M8oo-W91hQXLf9sYhevQzjCX3/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Psalm 91 (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Psalm 91
Author: Baderinwa Rolland
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xPjZeq1XADzDj6mJaBR6NRCNIfp6M0pr/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

Yemaya in Love (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Yemaya in Love
Author: Nana Anoa Nantambu
Abstract: This recording belongs to a series of meditations, oral histories, and musical performances that were created by Neighborhood Story Project with contemporary women healers in New Orleans.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VXaQ8mefmGg6r5EVDnhTEWZ4He0dTDsI/view?usp=sharing
Audience: Undergraduate

An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture
Abstract: An overview presentation on An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture.
Author: Bryan Wagner
Author: Jessica Marie Johnson
Date: 11/30/2023
Location: Johns Hopkins University

The Life and Legend of Bras-Coupé (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: The Life and Legend of Bras-Coupé
Abstract: A joint presentation on Bras-Coupé by Bryan Wagner and Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Author: Bryan Wagner
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Date: 11/19/2022
Location: Words and Music Festival, New Orleans

The Wild Tchoupitoulas (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: The Wild Tchoupitoulas
Abstract: A joint presentation on The Wild Tchoupitoulas.
Author: Melissa A. Weber
Author: Bryan Wagner
Date: 11/18/2022
Location: Words and Music Festival, New Orleans

New Orleans: A Sense of Place (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: New Orleans: A Sense of Place
Author: Sakina Shakil Groppmaier
Author: Bryan Wagner
Author: Matt Sakakeeny
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Author: D. Ryan Gray
Author: Amy Mohr
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Abstract: A public conference exclusively featuring collaborators on An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture sharing work in progress.
Date Range: 7/21/2022 - 7/22/2022
Location: Amerika Institute, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany

All Saints (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: All Saints
Author: Neighborhood Story Project
Abstract: An event by Neighborhood Story Project during which curriculum material was filmed and recorded.
Date Range: 11/1/2023
Location: Marigny Opera House, New Orleans

The Inside of Good Luck (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: The Inside of Good Luck
Author: Neighborhood Story Project
Abstract: An event organized by Neighborhood Story Project at which material for our curriculum was filmed and recorded.
Date Range: 5/25/2023
Location: New Orleans Jazz Museum

The Glass House Revisited (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: The Glass House Revisited
Author: Neighborhood Story Project
Abstract: An event organized by Neighborhood Story Project at which material for our curriculum was filmed and recorded.
Date Range: 3/23/2023
Location: Toulouse Theater, New Orleans

Planning Workshop for An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: Planning Workshop for An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture
Author: Bryan Wagner
Author: Jessica Marie Johnson
Author: Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Author: Rachel Breunlin
Abstract: The inaugural event for this project, a planning workshop for An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture, with both project leads and community partners in attendance.
Date Range: 2/11/2022
Location: Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies, University of New Orleans

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