Why Black People Celebrate Mardi Gras The Way We Do

After attending two Mardi Gras balls this carnival season, I realized that not many people outside of New Orleans understand the history of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mardi-Gras-carnival" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">carnival season</a> or the social significance of such events for Black people. From the outside looking in, Mardi Gras is just a big egalitarian party where people can eat and drink freely and catch some good throws like beads, shoes, purses, and coconuts. Over <a href="https://www.afar.com/magazine/everything-you-need-to-know-about-mardi-gras-in-new-orleans#:~:text=During%20Mardi%20Gras%2C%20at%20least,Fat%20Tuesday%20parades%20and%20festivities." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">a million</a> people visit New Orleans each year for Fat Tuesday. But for locals, the season means so much more. Allow me to explain. When Mardi Gras began in 1857, the celebration was a whites-only affair. <a href="https://gambinos.com/new-orleans-history/meeting-of-the-courts-when-rex-met-comus/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">The Mistick Krewe of Comus</a>, the first parade to ever hit the streets of New Orleans, forbade Black people from attending their annual gala or enjoying the public festivities. "All gatherings by slaves and free men of color were <a href="https://aaregistry.org/story/the-mardi-gras-indians/#:~:text=Because%20of%20the%20fear%20generated,Gras%20Indians%20into%20deep%20hiding." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">prohibited</a>." So, even though the city's secret societies, known as Krewes, hosted balls and parades from King's Day to Shrove Tuesday since before the Civil War, who could attend these soirees has always been a controversial topic. <a href="https://momentum.medium.com/why-black-people-celebrate-mardi-gras-the-way-we-do-f3c58e20288f">Read More</a>