New Orleans Second Lines are so synonymous with the culture of New Orleans that it is essential that you understand the history of these parades before coming to New Orleans. Because, in all honesty, you are going to see and probably be involved with a parade whether you like it or not. The culture of parades and spontaneous street parties is so pervasive throughout New Orleans that you honestly would have to be incredibly unlucky to visit without seeing at least one parade march through the French Quarter. If you didn’t click on the link earlier, please check out Hannibal Burress’ hilarious bit on New Orleans and its parade culture by clicking here.
The Second Line has historical roots in West African drum circle and ring dance traditions. Brought to New Orleans by enslaved Africans, the parade became a feature of nearly all African-American, New Orleans events, particularly funerals. At funerals in New Orleans it is traditional to march the casket in a somber procession from the church to the cemetery for the burial ceremony and then leave the cemetery with a ruckus, up beat, happy parade to celebrate the person’s life in the most joyous way possible.
African American’s in New Orleans continued these ancient traditions through the Jim Crow era when White-only insurance companies refused to service black patrons. So African-Americans started their own “Social, Aid, and Pleasure Clubs.” These SAPCs threw social functions and assisted members through illness and even provided for funeral expenses. This is a carry-over from African traditions that believed in celebrating the member’s spirit leaving the body to return to the ancestors and God. This led to what became known as a “jazz funeral”, with the SAPC members marching in a dirge with a brass band before the deceased body is “cut loose” and a celebratory parade begins.
The first line is traditionally considered the party goers or funeral procession that are marching and participating in the parade and the second line is the brass band that is providing the music. In modern times, every social group, every club (known in New Orleans as a Krewe), every neighborhood still has SAPCs and benevolent social organizations that hold regular second line parades. Parades are held for funerals, weddings, festivals, Tuesdays…you name it, there’s probably a parade involved in New Orleans.
A seemingly odd part of this New Orleans parade culture is the inclusion of what are called Mardi Gras Indians. To the uneducated observer it might even seem like the African-Americans of New Orleans are mocking or culturally appropriating Native American culture in a way that is derogatory. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The history of Mardi Gras Indians has deep root in spiritual slave culture from hundreds of years ago in Louisiana.
Back when slavery was not only legal in the deep south, but a cornerstone of southern life, many slaves would flee the horrific lives they were leading and head out into the bayou where it was difficult for their white slave owners to pursue them. If you’ve ever been through the bayou that surrounds New Orleans, you’ll know that this is not the place you’d want to be wading through waist deep water on your own, trying to escape to the free north. Fortunately for escaped slaves, they often ran into friendly and helpful Native Americans who would assist them in fleeing the horrible oppression of slavery and guide them as far north as they could take them. In honor of these literal life savers that rescued fleeing slaves from the bayou and guided them north, African American slaves would dress up as their friendly saviors during social gatherings and ceremonies in a show of reverence and respect.
New Orleans was much more liberal than the rest of the Southern United States, particularly with regards to its slaves. While any form of slavery is horrific and simply indefensible, slaves in New Orleans did enjoy certain freedoms that slaves elsewhere in the United States did not enjoy. I once heard someone explain this difference by stating that New Orleans isn’t part of the Southern United States, it’s merely a Caribbean nation surrounded by the Southern United States…but make no mistake about it, it abides by its own rules and always has.
At any rate, In the mid 1700s, New Orleans had an area set aside that was refered to as Congo Square which was a social gathering center for African American Slaves, where they were permitted to gather on Sundays to sing traditional folk songs, dance and play music. This is where the tradition of dressing as Mardi Gras Indians as a form of reverence began. It was later added to by the Buffalo Soldiers, escaped slaves that served in the Northern Armies during the Civil War who later were used to forcefully relocated plain Indians. Many of these soldiers relocated to New Orleans after the war and brought with them some of the Native American Culture that they obtained during these regretful campaigns.
Today, nearly 40 different Mardi Gras Indian “Tribes” exist, creating intricate costumes and bringing joy to paraders and party revelers year round while honoring the Native American tribes that helped their ancestors escape to freedom hundreds of years ago.
