07/27/2025
Three weeks ago, we had the privilege of traveling to New Orleans with our collaborator Miranda Potts, Director of Outreach and Education at the Eva Marsden Centre, for a meaningful research trip. Together, we explored the city’s complex histories and connected with incredible people who are keeping these legacies alive.
Huge thanks to Dennis from 2nd Line Tours/ Experience for guiding us through some of NOLA’s most significant sites. One unforgettable stop was the TEP Center —named after Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost, three six-year-old girls who bravely desegregated McDonogh 19 after Brown v. Board of Education. We were deeply honoured to be welcomed by Ms. Leona Tate herself, who gave us a personal tour of the center, which now educates visitors on school desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement.
Our deepest gratitude and love to Ms. Vera Warren-Williams and Ms. Jennifer Turner— whom we lovingly call Mama Vera and Mama Jen—of the Community Book Center, a cultural anchor on Bayou Road (New Orleans’ oldest street). CBC has been serving the community for over 40 years, starting in Mama Vera’s parents’ home, and continues to be a hub for Black literature, learning, and gathering. Here we had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Aadyn Encalarde whom you might recognize from Girls Trip and, more recently, Sinners.
And of course, we couldn’t leave without putting our Boots on the Ground! Big love to Ms. Linda Simms and the crew at Let's Mess It Up Soul Line Dancing for teaching us the moves and bringing the joy.
We also visited the Backstreet Cultural Museum in Treme, founded by the late Sylvester Francis. We learned about the art, culture, and power of Mardi Gras Indian suits and second-line traditions. Thank you to Dominique Dilling-Francis (Sylvester’s daughter and BCM Director), Babydoll Ooh Lala for the warm welcome, and to Horace for the incredible exhibition tour.
