African Descendants in New Orleans: A Visual History
Photo Essay
The rich, complex history of African descendants in New Orleans may be evidenced through works of public art by artists John T. Scott, Martin Payton, Sheleen Jones and others; iconic architectural structures such as the shotgun house, with its Afro-Caribbean roots; monuments and memorials to figures like the pioneering civil rights activist A.P. Tureaud; and portraits produced by early to mid-20th century photographer Arthur P. Bedou of the Seventh Ward, held at The Amistad Research Center and other local repositories. This photo essay by art historian and curator Mora J. Beauchamp-Byrd (Duke University) focuses on a selection of paintings, prints, photographs and sculptural works that document the role of African descendants in the shaping of social, cultural and political history in New Orleans.
Beauchamp-Byrd also served as the guest editor for our Community Spotlight on New Orleans, and some of the articles she edited appear in the links below.
Featured Articles
The following entries have been selected to help guide readers who want to understand more about the African American experience in Washington, D.C.. (Access to the following articles is available only to subscribers.)
Subject Entries
- New Orleans
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- African American Mardi Gras Masquerading Traditions
- Calas (Fritters) of New Orleans
- Congo Square
- New Orleans, African American Newspapers in
- Tignon Headdress in New Orleans
Biographies
Primary Source Documents
- Letters from Cynthia Nickols and Lt. James DeGrey to the Louisiana Freedmen's Bureau (1867)
- An Account of the Deslondes Uprising (1811)
- An Appeal for the Unification of the People of Louisiana (1873)
- Editorial in the New Orleans Crusader on the Separate Car Act (1890)
- Excerpts from the Louisiana Black Codes (1865)
- Press Conference Held by Lt. General Russel Honoré (2005)
- Slave Auction Catalog for the Banks' Arcade, New Orleans (1855)
- The Founding of the Sisters of the Holy Family (1894)