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.

A documentary film by Ned Sublette focused on Cuban music, religion, and culture. This film is distributed by An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture. It was created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Division of Undergraduate Education at the University of California, Berkeley.

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. This film is distributed by Neighborhood Story Project and An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture and made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. Providing a comprehensive overview of the rich and complex musical relationship between Cuba and New Orleans, this lecture highlights the importance of cultural exchange and the power of music to transcend borders and political divisions.

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.

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.

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.

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, ending with the city’s role in the Second World War. This video was created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Department of Mass Communication at Xavier University of Louisiana, and the Division of Undergraduate Education at the University of California, Berkeley.

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.

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.

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. This film 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.

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). 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, and the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.

In this short 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

This film was produced by Rachel Breunlin, Matt Sakakeeny, and Roger Lewis. The film 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. This film is a collaboration facilitated by Neighborhood Story Project and made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, and the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley.

Description
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 Arturo Pfister, a poet and fiction writer from New Orleans, 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.