Happy Mardi Gras - 1954!

This home movie from 1954 gives us a feeling that there was at least one day in New Orleans in the 50's when everybody got along - Mardi Gras. Everybody looks so happy, and each person looks like a star on a stage. It's part Woodstock, part belle of the ball, part Halloween, part Invasion of the Pines, part 80's club kids, and more. On this day, everybody was celebrating. People were dancing, showing off their costumes, and looking at the parades in awe.

To those who think that men going out in drag is something that just didn't happen in the past, this film shows drag queens out and about 55 years ago. Drag shows in New Orleans were so enjoyable to people that they became a tourist attraction. In fact, my grandparents went to a drag show in New Orleans; I believe that was in the 1960's.

Midway through the video I was excited to see shots of what I believe was the Zulu Parade. Parades in New Orleans are run by private groups called Krewes. As far as I know, the Krewe of Zulu was the only African American Krewe at that time. All of the other Krewes were for Whites only. You could watch both parades regardless of your skin color, but if you were Black, there was only one parade you could participate in - the Zulu parade. This is where we are reminded that, although people do seem to be united in celebration on that day, in reality people were still very much segregated.

Thanks to Harry Connick Jr., his father Harry Connick Sr., and Sonney Borey for establishing the first Krewe in New Orleans to accept either race or ethnicity and either gender. I was lucky enough to see the parade on it's first day ever - February 14, 1994. The Krewe celebrates music, and was therefore named the Krewe of Orpheus (from Greek mythology, which signifies the power of music). That year we got to look up on floats and see Vanessa Williams, Branford Marsalis, Dan Aykroyd, Little Richard, and Harry Connick, Jr. all in one parade together.

Thank you to youtube user WolfieRed1 who uploaded this beautiful home movie to youtube, and thank you to his mother and father for filming it.