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JUNE 28 — JULY 4, 2022 VOLUME 43 || NUMBER 26

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NEWS Opening Gambit ...............................6 Commentary.....................................8 Clancy DuBos....................................9 Blake Pontchartrain.....................10

FEATURES Arts & Entertainment ....................5 Eat + Drink.......................................31 Music Listings................................ 37 ESSENCE Fest Preview...............38 Puzzles............................................. 39

40 Under 40

40 of the best and brightest New Orleanians under the age of 40!

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Family Reunion

ESSENCE Fest returns to New Orleans with music, comedy and style CLOSE TO THREE YEARS SINCE THE LAST TIME ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE

could host in-person events, the festival celebrating Black music, Black women and Black-owned business returns to New Orleans Thursday, June 30, though Sunday, July 3.

The festival again hosts its mainstage concert series at the Caesars Superdome and will fill the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center with day-long marketplaces, panels, workshops, Q&A sessions and other experiences. Also, ESSENCE Fest will extend its footprint with virtual offerings and in-person special events around New Orleans. This year’s theme is “It’s the Black Joy for Me!” As the pandemic-forced lockdowns started in spring 2020, ESSENCE Festival — which is produced by the media company ESSENCE Communications Inc. — canceled that summer’s event and instead hosted a two-weekend virtual festival. It again went virtual in July 2021, but with more time, ESSENCE filmed portions in New Orleans, incorporating the city into the streaming events.

“We are excited to welcome the family back live to New Orleans and thrilled to connect with more of our diasporic family through new digital experiences,” ESSENCE CEO Caroline Wanga said in a press release. “Whether it be those that have three years of outfits reflective of the Festival tradition that was disrupted by the pandemic, or those who will have their inaugural Festival experience in 2022, all are invited to immerse in the crown jewel of culture known as the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.”

ESSENCE Fest 2022 kicks off a four-day line-up on Thursday with comedian Kevin Hart at 8 p.m. at the Smoothie King Center. The stand-up comic and actor is no stranger to big arena shows and just recently started his “Reality Check” tour, his first major national tour in over four years. In fact, New Orleans will be his first U.S. date on this tour after playing two shows in Ireland. Kenny Burns hosts.

Mainstage evening concerts take place starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday in the Superdome.

Nicki Minaj headlines Friday with performances by Beenie Man, Mickey Guyton, Kes the Band and Machel Montano. Janet Jackson tops Saturday’s bill, with Patti LaBelle, Jazmine Sullivan, Summer Walker,

D-Nice featuring Carl Thomas and Stephanie Mills, and Lucky Daye — a New Orleans native and recent Grammy winner.

New Edition closes the mainstage on Sunday following sets by the Isley Brothers, The Roots featuring Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, City Girls, Tems and WizKid. ESSENCE this year offers more than a dozen “experiences” with in-person and online aspects.

Most experiences will be headquartered at the Convention Center, opening at 9:30 a.m.

Friday through Sunday.

The mainstay Beauty Carnival returns with vendors, beauty experts, influencers and discussions centered around Black beauty trends and products.

ESSENCE Studios Center Stage will host Q&A sessions with a number of emerging musicians, artists, authors and filmmakers. And the Tech Summit will feature product demos and panels about future technology and opportunities.

A Health Hub will include doctors, health care professionals and wellness influencers discussing a range of topics, from physical and mental health to intimate partner violence, holistic medicines and CBD. Wealth and Power programming will focus on panels and roundtables with Black business leaders and media figures. And at 10 a.m. Sunday, the Get Lifted Gospel Celebration will take place in the Convention Center’s theater.

New this year is the ESSENCE Film Festival, taking place on the Convention Center’s second floor with film screenings, meet-andgreets and filmmaking panel discussions. There’s also the In His Zone Men’s Experience taking place on the second floor, with programming focused on Black men and topics from fatherhood and relationships to sports, fashion and travel.

A number of experiences are planned away from the Convention Center this year. ESSENCE Wellness House, which features a robust lineup of classes and events focused on self-care and health, will be at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art all weekend. The E-Suite will present programming around professional development starting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday at the NOPSI Hotel. And ESSENCE Eats, another new experience, will run 10 a.m. to 6

|

by Jake Clapp

Go 4th on the River

THE ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION IS HIGHLIGHTED BY A FIREWORKS DISPLAY over the Mississippi

River beginning at 9 p.m. Monday, July 4. There also are food trucks and vendors and live music in Crescent Park, with Jamaican Me Breakfast Club performing at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Big 6 Brass Band at 7:45 p.m. During the fireworks, patriotic music will be broadcast on WWL 870 AM and 105.3 FM and Magic 101.9. Find details at go4thontheriver.com.

P H O T O B Y S H AW N F I N K / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Patti LaBelle performs at ESSENCE Fest 2019. She’ll be back in the Superdome on Saturday, July 2. p.m. Friday through Sunday at The Sugar Mill, with chef Q&As, cooking demos and, of course, food.

This year, ESSENCE After Dark will host late-night events Friday through Sunday at The Joy Theater and the Republic. There will be nightly comedy shows at The Joy, with sets by Finesse, Karlous Miller, Ms. Pretty Ricki, Ryan Davis and more. And the Republic will host music, including “World Night” on Friday, “Ladies Night” on Saturday and “New and Next on Sunday.”

Look for numerous New Orleanians taking part all over the festival: Supa Cent, the CEO of Crayon Case Cosmetics, will be at the Beauty Carnival as will the fashionable men of the Silver Fox Squad; actor Wendell Pierce takes part in Men’s Experience programming; WWLTV’s Sheba Turk will speak as part of the Wealth & Power experience; and many others. ESSENCE Studios’ Center Stage will feature content

by Da Truth Brass Band, Fresh x Reckless, Justin Garner, Nkiruka Drum & Dance Ensemble, Domonic Scott, Spy Boy Shaudy and more.

For tickets and more information, check out essence.com/essencefestival-2022. There also is an app available. Tickets for Kevin Hart’s show start at $41. Three-day packages for Superdome concerts are sold out, but single-day tickets start at $70. Check out pg. 38 for more previews.

PHOTO BY BRET T DUKE / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Rakim

WHEN ERIC B. AND RAKIM RELEASED THEIR FIRST RECORD, “PAID IN FULL,” IN 1987, they forever changed music

history. One of the first MCs affiliated with The Nation of Gods and Earths to breakthrough into the broader popular conscious, Rakim’s brilliant and proudly Black nationalist lyrics, breath control and flow set the standard for what would become known as the Golden Age of Hip Hop. So it’s fitting he’s playing this week with members of GLBL WRMNG, New Orleans’ collective of rappers, producers and artists. The collective’s co-founder, Pell, will open for Rakim, along with Alfred Banks and $leazy EZ. Like Rakim, the trio are charting their own, conscious course in hip-hop, breaking the current mold lyrically while championing progressive causes. At 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $30 at tipitinas.com.

‘Girls Trip’

ORPHEUM THEATER KICKS OFF ESSENCE FESTIVAL WEEKEND WITH A FREE SCREENING OF “GIRLS TRIP,” the 2017

comedy starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish and Jada Pinkett Smith as a group of PAGE 35

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Women’s reproductive rights are a human right.

#

T H U M B S U P/ THUMBS DOWN

42,000

SoutheastLouisianaLegal Services has received more

than $6.4 million from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) to provide legal services to low-income people grappling with problems after Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. LSC also gave more than $4.7 million to Acadiana Legal Service Corporation to help people in southwest Louisiana still recovering from Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

signed into law two anti-abortion bills, effectively barring access to safe, legal abortions in Louisiana — with some very narrow exceptions, but not for cases of rape or incest. SB 342 shores up Louisiana’s “trigger” law making abortion illegal in the state if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The bill also increased criminal penalties for doctors who perform an abortion. SB 388 makes it illegal for anyone to send abortion pills by mail to Louisianans.

Louisiana pays most incarcer-

ated workers only $0.02 to $0.40 an hour for their labor, according to the ACLU and the University of Chicago. The report found that in Louisiana, most incarcerated people earn just $0.02 for cell block maintenance and field work. Vocational programs pay $0.04 an hour while educational tutors earn between $0.25 and $0.80 an hour. Companies pay millions of dollars for crops and livestock tended by Louisiana prisoners, who also work at the State Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion.

THE APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF HOMEOWNERS’ INSURANCE POLICIES TERMINATED AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF SOUTHERN FIDELITY.

PHOTO BY S TEVE HELBER / THE AP

Protesters outside the Supreme Court in Washington following its decision to strike down women’s right to abortion.

High court eliminates right to abortion THE SUPREME COURT’S CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY ON FRIDAY ruled

Gov. John Bel Edwards last week

THE COUNT

women do not have a constitutional right to abortion, overturning decades of precedent and allowing Louisiana’s abortion ban to go into immediate effect.

The decision is expected to have potentially devastating effects on women and families and will have particularly negative effect on poor people, Black women and other women of color. “Let’s be clear that this decision will not affect privileged people, mostly white, from accessing abortion services,” said Michelle Erenberg, co-director of women’s rights group Lift Louisiana, in a statement Friday.

The court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision which gave a pregnant person the right to have an abortion up until viability, when it’s determined a fetus could reasonably live outside the womb. Instead, “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” the decision states.

What that really means is that Louisiana laws outright banning most abortions will now go into effect and the state’s three remaining abortion clinics will close. State law only carves out exceptions to save a pregnant person’s life (including ectopic pregnancies) or when the fetus wouldn’t be able to survive upon birth. There are no

exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest.

An additional 25 states will ban or majorly restrict abortion rights.

That means Louisiana residents will have to travel hundreds of miles and several states over, like to Illinois or Colorado, to receive abortion care. Traveling that far will be out of reach for many seeking abortions in the state, who are often poor, already have children and may not get paid time off work. That’s especially true for Black people and people of color in the state already dealing with the burdens of systemic racism.

Lakeesha Harris, co-director of Lift Louisiana, called the decision an “attack” on vulnerable populations.

“As a Black woman, who understands the consistent linkage to reproductive injustice in this nation and its roots in white supremacy and patriarchal rule, this decision doesn’t surprise me. It cuts to my core nevertheless,” Harris said.

“The Supreme Court, like all the branches of the US government, is directly attacking the most vulnerable — Black women, brown women, other people of color, people with low incomes, and the LGBTQ+ community — because we are low resourced with very political power.”

“It’s no surprise given this nation’s ugly history, and today we are witnessing the resurgence of Jim and Jane Crow raising their heads again,” she added.

PAGE 7

According to The Times-Picayune, at least a dozen companies since June 2020 have stopped insuring homes in the state. Powerful hurricanes and other disasters have devastated the region, leading to more than half a million claims and billions of dollars in payouts. Now, as the Gulf region faces another active hurricane season, thousands of people are scrambling to find insurance.

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PAGE 6

Gov. John Bel Edwards recently signed a Louisiana abortion law on Tuesday that will take effect, adding criminal penalties for abortion providers of up to 15 years in prison and up to $200,000 fine. That law also requires two doctors to sign off that the fetus would die after birth for the pregnant person to receive an abortion.

While there are exceptions, reproductive rights experts say these penalties may make doctors hesitant to perform abortions, even in medical emergencies where they would theoretically be allowed. And finding two available physicians could be difficult in more rural areas of the state where there are maternal health care deserts.

Rep. Mandie Landry, a New Orleans Democrat who has represented abortion clinics as a lawyer, told Gambit Friday, “This decision will result in death and poverty for more women in Louisiana.”

Landry urged advocacy groups and citizens to help women travel to states where they’ll be able to receive safe abortion care and for Louisiana physicians and emergency medical professionals to treat all patients, including patients who may have self-managed an abortion.

“Please, have some compassion for others,” she said.

Because so many of Louisiana’s abortion laws haven’t taken effect until now, it’s hard to know how they’ll be implemented. In Texas, where there’s been a 6-week abortion ban for months, and other states, police have arrested pregnant people for miscarriages.

Deon Haywood, executive director of Women With a Vision, which helps people access abortion and HIV/AIDS care and resources, said the court’s decision is in line with a history of government policies that have disproportionally hurt Black people.

“Today’s ruling fits into the long legacy of first creating desperation in marginalized communities, then criminalizing behavior that results from that desperation, and finally watching as communities crumble,” Haywood said in a statement. — KAYLEE POCHE

New Orleans City Council apologizes to victims of Up Stairs Lounge fire 49 years later

THE NEWORLEANSCITYCOUNCIL THURSDAY FORMALLYAPOLOGIZED to the victims

of the Up Stairs Lounge gay bar fire and their loved ones, 49 years after an arsonist set fire to the gay bar, killing 32 people and injuring 15 others.

“The city we are today is not the city we were then,” said Council Vice President JP Morrell. “But that being said, the failure of the city to acknowledge what happened inherently prevents the city from learning from it.”

Robert Fieseler, a historian who authored a 2018 book about the fire, gave a presentation with harrowing details about the victims’ suffering, along with LGBTQ historian and writer Frank Perez and Gambit Political Editor Clancy DuBos, who covered the aftermath as an 18-yearold intern at The Times-Picayune.

Several council members were moved to tears by the presentation.

The June 24, 1973 fire was one of the deadliest fires in the city’s history and was the largest mass killing of the LGBTQ community since the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016.

Though relatively nondescript from the outside, Fieseler said the second-floor venue hosted a variety of performances and other celebrations.

“Not enough is said about the greatness of the Upstairs Lounge gay bar before the disaster. It was a community gathering place, a playhouse for amateur melodramas, a venue for drag performances, Easter bonnet contests, holiday shows and charitable fundraisers,” he said.

Despite the fire being one of the deadliest in the city’s history, police never arrested or convicted anyone for it. A man named Roger Dale Nunez had been thrown out of the bar earlier that day and threatened to burn the place down, but police didn’t even question him.

“The city response to this is beyond ridiculous,” Morrell said. “I don’t have the words to describe how human beings could react to a tragedy of this magnitude by so thoroughly dehumanizing the people that it occurred to.”

“It was also years later that I realized how profoundly the Up Stairs fire had affected the local gay community,” DuBos read from his 2013 article recounting reporting on the fire. “Sadly, it did not take long to see the indifference — or even the hostility — that many New Orleanians showed toward that community in the immediate aftermath of the fire. That indifference, that hostility, belied the city’s reputation for tolerance and hospitability.”

Several victims of the fire are in unmarked graves, even some whose bodies were identified. The family of one victim, Ferris LeBlanc, is still trying to bury LeBlanc, a World War II veteran, in a military cemetery instead of the potter’s field in New Orleans where he currently is.

“Our family has been trying every avenue to get Ferris buried in a proper military cemetery with the proper burial a World War II veteran deserves,” said Fieseler, reading a statement from the LeBlanc family.

— KAYLEE POCHE

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Finally, New Orleans acknowledges the Up Stairs Lounge tragedy

Open 7am-8pm Everyday

the long-overdue step of acknowledging the tragic events of June 24, 1973, when an arson attack at the Up Stairs Lounge left 32 people dead, more than a dozen injured, and countless others mourning deceased friends and family.

The fire was the deadliest assault against a gay nightclub in U.S. history until the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016.

At the time, the Up Stairs Lounge was a popular bar for gay men and other members of the local LGBTQ community. In the fire’s aftermath, city leaders — including then-Mayor Moon Landrieu, the City Council, the local media and the Catholic Church — avoided the mere mention of the fire, let alone calling it a tragedy.

That failure to acknowledge an obvious truth was, and for decades after remained, a painful reminder of our city’s indifference, if not hostility, toward the gay community. No one was ever charged in connection with the fire; the daily newspapers sounded no alarms over NOPD’s failure to thoroughly investigate the murder of 32 people; and some of the victims ultimately were buried in unmarked graves because the city made little-to-no effort to determine their identities. Not acknowledging the deadly attack as a human tragedy allowed the pain of the fire and its aftermath to remain an open wound.

Remarkably, some mourners responded to the Up Stairs Lounge fire by becoming change agents.

The movement was small at first, but over time the local gay community made its presence felt and its voice heard. That, despite continued resistance in many quarters of New Orleans. It should not have taken 49 years for the city to formally acknowledge the Up Stairs Lounge tragedy, but the council’s resolution and official apology proved that it’s never too late to begin a healing process.

PHOTO BY BRET T DUKE / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Rose McCloskey Little, center, reacts as Councilmember J.P. Morrell hands her a proclamation as the New Orleans City Council posthumously recognized the 32 victims of the 1973 arson attack on the Up Stairs Lounge during a council meeting in New Orleans on Thursday, June 23, 2022. Little’s brother Clarence McCloskey Jr., died in the fire.

As an 18-year-old intern reporter at the time, our Clancy DuBos covered the Up Stairs Lounge fire.

Unlike many in the media at the time — and since — he turned an unflinching, sensitive eye towards the tragedy. During the council ceremony on June 23, Clancy spoke about the impact the Up Stairs Lounge fire had on him, noting, “My tears after that tragedy dried a long time ago. But the tears of those who suffered and died, and the tears of those who lost loved ones, have yet to dry. I hope today’s expression of support and empathy will finally — finally — help to dry their tears.”

More must be done to honor the victims and the legacy of the Upstairs Lounge fire. Council Vice President JP Morrell, for instance, has vowed to begin the process of identifying and securing proper burials for victims interred in unmarked graves. Morrell also pledged to help erect a memorial to those who perished in the fire.

Official city recognition of the Up Stairs Lounge tragedy is a small but significant step in a long-overdue healing process. It is also an explicit statement that our city supports justice and equality for all.

9

@clancygambit

Up Stairs Lounge arson victims, loved ones owed apologies

be

free

FORTY-NINE YEARSAGO,ON THE NIGHTOFJUNE24,1973,

I had a front-row view of tragedy and history as part of a team of TimesPicayune reporters covering the Up Stairs Lounge fire. The images, smells and sounds of the inferno that killed 32 people and injured more than a dozen others will forever haunt me.

An even bigger story began to unfold in the fire’s aftermath.

It’s a tale of official indifference, to the point of cruelty. Every corner of the New Orleans Establishment turned its back on the gay community at a time when that community most needed to have its profound grief acknowledged.

City Hall, the Archdiocese of New Orleans, NOPD, and yes, the local media, including my then-employer The Times-Picayune — they all turned away in choreographed disinterest, as if to force the dead, the dying and the mourning back into the closet.

Over time, however, that indifference had the opposite effect.

The Up Stairs fire and its painful aftermath inspired a few brave men to become gay activists, even as the story of the fire faded from official memory.

Thankfully, that story has been meticulously chronicled by journalist and author Robert Fieseler in his book Tinderbox, which recounts not only the murderous blaze but also the city’s code of silence toward the gay community.

“Every social movement in American history has a body count,” Fieseler notes in his preface. He goes on to explain that “it is routinely through death that we reckon with violations of our basic liberties.”

On June 23, the New Orleans City Council officially apologized for the city’s failure to acknowledge the Up Stairs fire as a human tragedy. Representatives of NOPD joined in. This time, Fieseler and others from the LGBTQ community choreographed an emotion-packed presentation on the fire and the “open wound” that remains. I was honored to be asked to share my

PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Roberts Batson embraces Rose McCloskey Little, whose brother Clarence McCloskey Jr., died in the Up Stairs Lounge Fire in 1973. memories of the fire — and the long silence that ensued — as part of that presentation.

The presentation’s most poignant moment was a statement from Rose Little, whose brother Clarence Joseph McCloskey Jr. was among the 32 people killed in the fire.

“What made everything worse was the response of the City of New Orleans and the community,” Ms. Little’s statement said. “Instead of City officials leading the mourning of its citizens, it distanced itself.

The investigation was not made a priority; it was botched, and the families and friends never saw the arsonist brought to justice. The awful things people shouted about how he/they deserved to die haunt us. We could not have a Catholic funeral for Clarence.”

Ms. Little could not muster the strength to sit at the presenter’s table, such was her grief and pain all these years later. Fieseler read it for her as she sat in the front row of the Council Chamber, tears welling in her eyes and in the eyes of many others in attendance.

After the council unanimously adopted a resolution containing the apology, council members presented Ms. Little with a framed copy of the resolution. At long last, some of those in power showed up to dry her tears.

It’s time for others to do the same.

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My grandfather used to talk about going to a fisherman’s Mass before dawn on Sunday mornings. Do you know what church offered this and when?

Dear reader,

WHILE CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN SOME BAYOU AND RURAL COMMUNITIES have

been known to offer early morning Masses for fishers and hunters, in New Orleans, the church most associated with a so-called fisherman’s Mass is Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in St. Roch.

It is located in the 1800 block of St. Roch Avenue, across from St. Roch Park and a block away from historic St. Roch Cemetery.

The church parish was founded in 1911 by Archbishop James Hubert Blenk. According to the church website, the first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Day 1911 in a house at the corner of St. Roch and North Johnson Street.

A bigger church was built within seven months of that first Mass, but a 1915 hurricane destroyed it.

A second church was built on the same piece of land. The parish grew so much that a larger church — the present structure — was built and dedicated in 1931.

The fisherman’s Mass was introduced in 1932 by Father Joseph Levesque, who was pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea from 1924 to 1938. The pre-dawn Mass was celebrated at 3 a.m. during the summer and 4 a.m. during the winter. Some attendees remember the Masses

FILE PHOTO

Our Lady Star of the Sea Church on St. Roch Avenue lies in ruins after the unnamed 1915 hurricane devastated New Orleans. being popular not just with sportsmen but also with college students, late-night partiers and people who worked late-night hours.

The Mass was discontinued in 1939 but reinstated the following year. An October 1940 TimesPicayune article reported that following “hundreds of petitions,” Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel and the church’s new pastor, Father Joseph J. Boudreaux, “received permission from the apostolic delegate at Washington to hold services prior to one hour before dawn, the time allowed by church law.”

The fisherman’s Mass ended in 1956 when, according to The Times-Picayune, attendance began to dwindle. Within a few years, Saturday 4 p.m. vigil Masses offered sportsmen another option.

Those services were sanctioned by the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s.

BL AKEVIE W THERE IS NO BETTER TIME TO VISIT A COOL, AIR-CONDITIONED MOVIE THEATER THAN DURING A SOUTH LOUISIANA SUMMER . For much of the 20th century, if

you visited a local picture show, there’s a good chance it was owned by T.G. “Teddy” Solomon and his Gulf States Theatres chain.

At the time of its $62 million sale to United Artists in 1986, the chain was the largest in Louisiana and Mississippi. In all, there were more than 600 theaters in seven states.

Solomon’s father and uncle, both Lebanese immigrants, opened their first movie theater, the Palace, in 1927 in McComb, Mississippi. Solomon started working there when he was 10.

When his father died in 1948, Solomon began to run the family business.

Over the course of seven decades, he would own and operate every kind of theater, from indoor single screens to drive-ins and multiplexes.

In 1996, Solomon and his children introduced the stadium-style megaplex concept to south Louisiana with the Palace 20 in Elmwood. Other Palace theaters would follow before the Solomons sold to AMC in 2002.

Solomon, a World War II veteran, donated $5.5 million for the Solomon Victory Theater at the National World War II Museum. He died in 2013.

His family remains active in local business, including Gary Sr., a banker, and grandson Gary Jr., who is co-founder and president of Solomon Group, a live event, exhibit design and production firm.

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THIS ARTICLE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

McEnery Residential thrives with deep knowledge, authenticity and a local touch

BY AMANDA MCELFRESH AMCELFRESH@THEADVOCATE.COM THIS ARTICLE IS BROUGHT TO YOU

BY MCENERY RESIDENTIAL.

S

ince it opened in August 2018, McEnery Residential has made it a top priority to be the opposite of national real estate agencies.

Their agents, most of whom are New Orleans natives or longtime residents, have a deep knowledge of the market and can tell potential buyers everything there is to know about a home and the surrounding neighborhood. That local-first approach has helped the firm grow rapidly in a short time and expand to multiple locations.

“Selling houses in New Orleans is a very local business,” said Parke McEnery, sponsoring broker, principal and manager of The McEnery Company and McEnery Residential. “Our authentic New Orleans brand is something that has created significant value for our agents, their business, and most importantly, for our clients. Our clients know that when they list a house with us, they are getting service

that is perfectly tailored to that exact house and that neighborhood.”

Although it is a boutique firm, McEnery Residential has emerged as a major player in the New Orleans real estate market with hundreds of home listings, ranging from condominiums to multimillion dollar mansions to traditional single-family homes. Its geographic footprint is also extensive, including popular areas such as Uptown, the Warehouse District, the French Quarter, Lakeview and Mid-City, plus surrounding communities like Gretna, St. Tammany Parish, and the Mississippi Coast.

McEnery’s success is especially impressive considering that the team has overcome numerous challenges in recent years. Most recently, they have deftly navigated the turbulent real estate market and served as a trusted guide for both home buyers and sellers who can be easily swayed by quick headlines and social media posts.

“There’s a mathematical impact when it comes to the significant rise in interest rates, but the psychological impact is equally as important,” McEnery said.

“Buyers and sellers are primarily influenced by what they see in the headlines. I think where we excel is by

helping people see past that and understand what’s really happening and how it affects them.”

More recently, McEnery said the market has begun to return to more stable conditions. Elective buyers who are not in a rush for a new home are more willing to take their time to find the right house at the right price. Still, buyers are making necessary moves, when of course necessary. Elective home purchases (up-sizing) has slowed somewhat; but with the right price on the right house, buyers are still showing up.

“There are still need-based moves that are happening. The transactional activity is still pretty good. It just feels like it’s much more of a normal market now,” McEnery said. “People are still motivated by price. A lot of people are still looking for more space, a yard or a pool. I just think the appetite now is a little bit more focused and tempered.”

Regardless of where the market heads next, McEnery Residential will be ready. The firm has its main office at 4901 Magazine Street and has recently opened offices in Old Gretna on the West Bank and on the North Shore. For more information, visit www.mceneryresidential.com.

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BY JAKE CLAPP, WILL COVIELLO, AMANDA MCELFRESH, JENNY PETERSON, LIAM PIERCE, KAYLEE POCHE, SARAH RAVITS, DOMONIQUE TOLLIVER PHOTOS BY CHRIS GRANGER

BRITTANY N. WILLIAMS,

36

ACTRESS, AUTHOR, SINGER CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR THE NOLA PROJECT When given the choice at her Baltimore middle school, Brittany N. Williams originally opted to take sewing over drama. But when the sewing teacher retired, she reluctantly signed up for drama, not knowing the permanent impact it would have on her life.

“I was like, ‘I guess I’ll do drama, whatever,’ in an extremely dramatic way where everyone was like, ‘You should be in drama. Why are you like this?’” she says. “I did that first school play, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Sick of the hustle of New York City, Williams and her husband moved to New Orleans at the end of 2017. She performed in her first NOLA Project show in 2019, joined the ensemble in 2020 and became the company’s co-artistic director in January.

PHOTO PROV IDED BY Williams’ original Halloween show, “Tell It to B RITA N N Y N . WIL L IA MS Me Sweet: A Winding Trail of Tales,” marked the NOLA Project’s first since the pandemic began. The show was a series of five short plays based on fairy tales and African American folk tales scattered throughout the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

Williams couldn’t attend rehearsals because she’d just given birth to her son, which made it even more special when she was able to bring him to opening night of the show — even if he did sleep through the whole thing.

“It was just nice to kind of stand in in the back and listen to people react to stuff that I’d written, see the performers do the pieces and bring everything to life,” she says.

Next spring, Williams will release her debut young adult historical fantasy novel, “That Self-Same Metal.” The book will be the first in a trilogy about a young Black girl who uses her ability to control metal to make swords for Shakespeare’s theatre company.

— KAYLEE POCHE

HELENA USEY,

18

STUDENT OUTGOING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS CLUB Helena Usey’s face lights up when she remembers her freshman year at Benjamin Franklin High School. A former dancer, she had just suffered a hip injury and was in pursuit of new interests to fill the void.

“They had a club fair, and the robotics team was demonstrating, and it just blew my mind,” she says. “(The robot) was huge, and I couldn’t believe high schoolers built this.”

Joining the club seemed daunting at first. “I didn’t think I was some super math nerd,” she says. “But it was so interesting and (fellow students and teachers) taught me everything. I learned to code and SPONSORED BY

do electrical circuitry and make blueprints — it was really exciting and empowering.”

Usey went on to become president of the robotics club, laying the foundation for the next chapter in her life. She starts courses at MIT in the fall, and says she is interested in biomedical engineering, particularly prosthetics. She wants her background in robotics development to help people with injuries.

Usey was also a leader among her peers during the COVID-19 shutdowns. When in-school competitions were canceled, she helped bring them online and expanded the ability for students to network with fellow robotics enthusiasts nationwide.

For other young people still trying to figure out their passions, Usey recommends exploring your interests. “If you’re interested in something, try it and see if you like it,” she says. “And if you do, just stick with it and let your passion continue to grow and spread to those around you.” — SARAH RAVITS

30

MUSICIAN CO-FOUNDER GLBL WRMNG

P HOTO BY TYL E R CO N D E

Jared Pellerin, better known by his artist name Pell, had an idea rolling around his head for a few years: He wanted to form a collective of New Orleans musicians and artists who’d work together to elevate each other and the music community.

A New Orleans native, Pell moved to Los Angeles in 2015 after the success of his 2014 breakout album “Floating While Dreaming.” While there, he released his album “Limbo,” toured extensively and played the festival circuit. But he found himself having conversations with other musicians back home — first about collaborations and then about building something for New Orleans.

“At a certain point, I saw that there was a need for us to put something together that was so diverse and the quality was so nice that it couldn’t be denied,” Pell says.

Pell moved back to New Orleans in 2020 and, with Nate Cameron and Juan Yusuf, co-founded GLBL WRMNG. With around 30 New Orleans-based musician and industry professionals, the collective focuses on connecting and uplifting musicians — particularly Black and Brown New Orleanians — in an effort to build up the city’s music infrastructure.

The group’s debut album, “Vol. 1,” was released in February 2021.

Pell also released his latest record, “Floating While Dreaming II,” in September. — JAKE CLAPP

CORINNE GREEN,

40

36

POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE STRATEGIST EQUALITY FEDERATION Corinne Green knows better than anyone that fighting for transgender rights in Louisiana is an uphill battle. Afterall, this is a state where legislators regularly express confusion over basic terms surrounding sex and gender.

But thanks to grassroots organizing, Green and other activists have been able to successfully help fend off several anti-LGBTQ bills without having many allies in the legislature. Green, who grew up in Destrehan, says the key is building coalitions with other progressive groups, strategic use of social media and simply having a presence in Baton Rouge.

“The thing that has made a huge difference, frankly, is just having trans people regularly in the halls of the Capitol, walking around, meeting with legislators, so that they can’t say they’ve never met a trans person,” Green says.

Green worked with Equality Louisiana and Louisiana Trans Advocates (LTA), where she served as president, to get Gov. John Bel Edwards to sign a trans-inclusive nondiscrimination executive order. In 2017, she moved to Oakland to work with the Transgender Law Center but moved back home because she felt Louisiana was where she had “the most capacity to push things forward for good.”

JUSTIN TEMPLET,

34

ENGLISH TEACHER CHALMETTE HIGH SCHOOL

SPONSORED BY

PHOTO PR OVIDED BY COR IN N E GR EEN

Green currently serves on the boards of LTA and the National Harm Reduction Coalition and works as a policy and legislative strategist for the Equality Federation, where she’s expanding what the group considers LGBTQ legislation to include harm reduction.

“LGBTQ folks don’t only care about LGBTQ issues,” she says. “There’s a whole cross section of social and economic issues that affect everyone and also affect LGBTQ folks.” — KP

When Justin Templet switched careers from journalism to education, his main goal was to teach at his alma mater, Chalmette High School. He wasn’t sure it would work out, but an English position opened at the school during his student teaching, which provided the perfect opportunity for Templet to fulfill his dream.

“It’s been even better than I anticipated. I really do love going to work every single day,” says Templet, who will soon start his sixth year of teaching. “I love what I do and I love being around the students.”

Others have noticed Templet’s passion. Recently, the Louisiana Department of Education named him one of only 24 state Teacher of the Year Semifinalists.

But, it’s his students – affectionately known as Templet Teens – who make it rewarding.

“They are the most engaging human beings. They’re so dynamic, invigorating, intelligent and insightful,” he says. “They’re so cooperative. They really all interact positively and genuinely with each other every day.”

Templet’s journalism background informs his communication style, but he’s never regretted the job change. Today, he feels comfortable in the classroom and wants the same for his students.

“I don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed about anything,” he says. “I come from the same background and same area as a lot of my students. If I can show them that I am confident, happy and proud of my voice, I hope I can instill those same feelings in them.”

— AMANDA McELFRESH

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When traveling abroad, Jesse Bascle combed through blogs and city websites to find out what transportation and places would be accessible to him as a wheelchair user. It wasn’t long before Bascle, who’s lived Uptown since he was a kid, decided to create his own accessibility guide for New Orleans.

Since 2017, Bascle has chronicled places he’s visited around the city on nolarolla.com, giving details on ramp access, bathroom access, ordering and how much space there is to get around. So far, he’s compiled a list of more than 100 restaurants, bars and other New Orleans spots, and hopes to expand to places outside of the city as well.

All his life, Bascle, who has muscular dystrophy, has experienced accessibility issues in the city firsthand. The situation has improved over the years, thanks in part to activism by Bascle and his late brother Jonah, who ran for mayor in 2010 to draw attention to accessibility.

The city’s buses and newer red street cars are now wheelchair accessible, though riders had to sue the Regional Transit Authority over the St. Charles line to add three accessible streetcars in 2020 and finally bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. But Bascle says there are simple actions business owners and others can take to make places more accessible, like purchasing inexpensive portable ramps. He and his family have raised money to donate ramps to local businesses in the past, which Bascle hopes to start doing again.

“I love New Orleans and want everyone to experience it whether they are in a wheelchair or not,” he says. — KP

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NATASHA HARRIS,

33

SAXOPHONE PLAYER THE ORIGINAL PINETTES BRASS BAND FOUNDER VOTER RIDE

SOCIAL WORKER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VAYLA

ANTHONY JOHNSON,

38

DEPUTY DIRECTOR VAYLA

P H OTO BY AS H L E Y B L I TZ

Jacqueline Thanh and Anthony Johnson are carrying the torch first lit by young Vietnamese leaders in Village De L’Est who stood up for their New Orleans East community to combat environmental racism following Hurricane Katrina.

That movement has grown into VAYLA, an intersectional AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) nonprofit that helps first- and second-generation members of the city’s AAPI community explore identity and become advocates and leaders in the community.

As an immigrant, Johnson is deeply passionate about this work.

“There’s a balancing [act] of holding on to a cultural/ethnic identity while grappling with what it means to be American and not white,” Johnson says. “I do not think there was one thing in particular that led me to advocate for the AAPI community other than a deep understanding that advocacy for one community can and should be advocacy for all global majority communities.”

Thanh, executive director, draws from her family history as the eldest daughter of Chinese Vietnamese refugees.

“I am driven by the ancestor that I would like to become,” Thanh says. “My work has always centered around narrative power and redemptive and radical joy as a first-generation Asian American femme leader. Asian Americans are pivotal to sustainability and the future of New Orleans.”

Thanh also runs The Golden Palanquin, culturally integrative consultation and coaching.

She is a clinically trained and trauma-informed social worker, full-time doctoral student at the University of Southern California focusing on social innovation and design justice for Asian American leadership, and an inaugural Climate Justice Design Fellow at Harvard University focused on data equity for Asian Americans.

“I am more unapologetically Asian and American than I have ever been,” she says. — JENNY PETERSON

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Natasha Harris was playing with another band in 2007 when she got called to sit in with New Orleans’ first and only all-women brass band, The Original Pinettes.

“We only practiced together for an hour before a parade,” Harris says of the group she now spends birthdays with. “They had me soloing every other song shortly after that.”

Harris is a kind of triple-threat: She’s the saxophonist in the Pinettes, a Black woman working full time in IT, and the founder of Voter Ride, a transportation service to polling places.

“Something I want to share with all young Black girls, is that you can be successful in male-dominated fields,” says Harris, who works as a business support analyst at USAA. Harris started Voter Ride for the 2020 presidential election and orchestrated 20 volunteers to provide 75 rides from private residences to polling places. She hopes to turn it into a full nonprofit for smaller elections in the future.

Harris also writes, arranges and composes for the Pinettes. Her favorite original is “Ain’t No City,” a song about being proud of her city.

“I don’t know if Natasha Harris from Chicago or New York would be the Natasha Harris that’s from New Orleans,” she says. — LIAM PIERCE

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JACQUELINE THANH,

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SERIGNE MBAYE,

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CHEF Chef Serigne Mbaye is working on opening his own brick and mortar restaurant to highlight the cuisine of Senegal and its connections to New Orleans cooking.

But he’s also been busy in the culinary world. He was nominated for a 2022 James Beard Foundation Award in the national category for Emerging Chef.

Mbaye recently organized a Juneteenth collaborative PHOTO BY dinner called Afro Freedom JA MES CO L L IER / Afro Feast. The event featured local chefs Martha Wiggins of Cafe Reconcile and Charly Pierre, chef of Fritai as well as Ben Burkett, a leader in the Black farming community.

“It was a beautiful event,” Mbaye says. “It was great to get 140 people to come to Burkett farms (in Petal, Mississippi) to spend the day with us with music and food.”

Mbaye has followed his own path in the culinary world, traveling far and wide to seek training and experience. Though born in New York, he grew up in Senegal. After returning to the U.S. to attain a culinary degree, he sought out Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam, who convinced him to return to Senegal and master its cuisine.

Mbaye then pursued experiences in top U.S. kitchens, including spending a year and a half at Commander’s Palace and working at San Francisco’s three-star Michelin restaurant Atelier Crenn and New York’s two-star Michelin restaurant L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. He also cooked in Europe.

Since returning to New Orleans, opening his own restaurant has been Mbaye’s goal. He’s maintained a presence operating Dakar NOLA as a pop-up, at times out of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum and Margaret Place. He also stepped in to run Mosquito Supper Club for a period while chef-owner Melissa Martin worked on a cookbook. He’ll continue to do collaborative events as he searches for a permanent home for Dakar NOLA. — WILL COVIELLO

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BRENT CRAIGE,

28

DONOVAN WILLIAMS,

28

CO-FOUNDERS JAMM AROUND A couple of years ago, Brent Craige was trying to put together an album and hitting roadblocks.

The album was going to be distributed through EMPIRE in a deal with PJ Morton and they needed to have it out before Christmas, but the first producer Craige worked

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DAN BINGLER,

40

38

FOUNDER GREATER NEW ORLEANS CARING COLLECTIVE Dan Bingler claims it was a “total accident” that he ended up founding a large mutual aid organization that serves local families affected by COVID-19, Hurricane Ida and various socioeconomic problems.

Bingler was working in a New Orleans restaurant when he and the rest of the staff were sent home on March 16, 2020 with no clue as to when they would work again. He knew people would need help, so Bingler rallied others together and created the Greater New Orleans Caring Collective, which connects people to food, supplies, emotional support, case management and other resources.

“I never thought this would become a nonprofit and connect more than 1,000 people to services they need,” he says. “In March 2020, I just wanted to take some steps immediately and be a good neighbor.”

Bingler is now working to expand GNOCC’s impact. The organization will soon open a free store where people can obtain clothing and

DEBBIE WITH A D,

other items without judgment or questions. A community center is also in the works.

“I feel very humbled that I have come to a place where I can work with others to make a long-term impact,” he says. “I definitely had a lot of imposter syndrome because I saw myself as just a fine dining server for a long time. I’ve seen now that our city and state have so many passionate people who want to help and I’m gratified to be a part of that work.” — AM

36

DRAG PERFORMER STI PREVENTION COORDINATOR CRESCENTCARE “Debbie with a D” is a drag queen with a master’s in public health. Debbie is the stage name for Joey Olsen, who works as the STI prevention coordinator at CrescentCare and helps patients receive counseling and testing.

“As a gay man, I am acutely aware of how HIV has affected our community,” they say.

Debbie began to work in public health after finishing graduate school at Tulane, but as someone who “also had the theater bug,” they found a way to infuse this important work with the art of drag.

Debbie sees their performance art and advocacy work in public health as a seamless blend.

Perhaps what best exemplifies that notion is the “Debbie with Plan B,” program, which incorporates drag numbers and handouts of free, at-home HIV test kits, Plan B pills, condoms and referral information for accessing PrEP (a daily pill that prevents HIV infection) and other STI testing. These types of events also have evolved to incorporate COVID-19 test kits and other pandemic-related resources.

“Drag is a statement for me, a rebellion

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against oppression, against stigma, against the patriarchy and a religion that says if you don’t fit a certain standard of ‘normalcy’ you are unfit to be loved,” Debbie says. “I’ve always known that drag has this tremendous power behind it, but I realized that I could use that platform to be an access point for resources in the community.” — SR

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with ended up ignoring him for two weeks. Then a vocalist they brought into the studio just wasn’t prepared.

“It was just lost money, lost time and lost opportunity,” Craige says. “Well, maybe it was a big opportunity because it led to Jamm Around.”

The experience made Craige and his friend Marlon Butler wish there was a better way to find and vet reliable musicians and producers to work with. They took the problem to their friend Donovan Williams, an app developer, and the three men took a year developing Jamm Around.

The new platform is a networking app making it easier for songwriters, rappers, singers, producers and engineers to connect with one another.

“Basically, a Tinder meets Evernote for music creators,” Craige says, “and that’s how we streamline the composition process. Instead of going directly to a recording studio to try and create something, now you get on Jamm Around, meet some people, make sure your network is right, make sure your sound is the way you want it to be, and then we also give you those composer tools, which eventually will be on the cloud.”

Jamm Around, which is now in open Beta, launched last year with Craige as CEO, Butler as COO and Williams as CTO. They also employ two engineers and a person in marketing.

In January, Jamm Around was picked to be a part of the Idea Village’s VILLAGEx accelerator program, the only Black-led startup among the group of 12. And in March, the company won the top prize at the 2022 IdeaPitch during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, making them eligible for a $400,000 investment.

Craige, who also started the media platform Newtral Groundz, and Williams are both from New Orleans East. Despite their successes, there’s been challenges.

“The [start-up] culture isn’t that big here. Lucid was our first unicorn and that was just last year.

We have some momentum now, though,” Craige says. — JC

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Absence made the heart grow fonder for Katie Gruzd. The San Francisco native studied political science at Loyola University New Orleans before PHOTO PROV IDED BY KAT IE GRU Z D leaving for grad school in New York City. But the Gulf Coast region was never far from her mind as she studied coastal restoration issues, so she returned to New Orleans in 2015.

As campaign manager for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, Gruzd says her career allows her to combine her passions for environmentalism, communication and policy work. Her main role is to “drive collaboration across five member organizations,” including three global nonprofits, with the ultimate goal of reconnecting the Mississippi River to the delta and reducing coastal land loss in a region where it is rapidly disappearing.

Gruzd also meets with scientists, state policymakers and the Army Corps of Engineers, and says the RMRD’s ongoing work has received bipartisan support.

Still, she says the work is a “slow burn.” “Sediment diversions are new tools,” she explains. “It’s like trying to mimic the process of the river, so we have a lot of good background, but we’re also trying to create something that doesn’t exist yet. It’s a big shift in thinking.”

Gruzd aims to make environmentalism accessible through art. She makes pottery and has created two coloring books, aimed at teaching children about coastal restoration and other issues Louisiana faces. “[Creating art] has been really fun and rewarding to do,” she says. “I think environmental issues can be intimidating, but there’s a way for everyone to get involved.” — SR

ERIKA RAJO,

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EDWARD SPOTS,

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DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER, TEACHER “When I discovered dance, I started moving like a train,” says Edward Spots, who grew up in the Magnolia Projects in New Orleans.

The way he puts it, finding dance as a youth by attending second lines and capoeira classes “literally saved my life.”

Spots left home as a teen to study dance at Massachusetts’ Walnut Hill School for the Arts and expanded his education at New York’s Joffrey Ballet School and the Ailey School, among others.

He also toured with the prestigious Ailey II before New Orleans beckoned him back home. These days he works on many projects geared at fostering the same love of dance in the next generation.

Spots teaches at NOCCA, which he says has humbled him. “It’s not about me being a star, it’s about helping other people achieve their goals,” he says.

He also brings programming to the New Orleans Museum of Art. “It feels cool to be (at the museum) to bring Black art that reflects the city’s demographic,” he says.

In between teaching, putting together his own choreography and curating dance performances across the

JOEL HITCHCOCK TILTON,

city, Spots also maintains a solo freelance career as a dancer. He’s worked in ad campaigns for major brands like Adidas and danced in music videos — catch him in Tank and the Bangas’ music video for “Stolen Fruit.”

“It’s has been really cool and fulfilling for me,” he says. “Every day something new happens, and I never know what to expect. My schedule is always changing.”

— SR

35

CO-OWNER AND CO-FOUNDER PARADIGM GARDENS Joel Hitchcock Tilton might be one of the busiest people in New Orleans.

The owner of Paradigm Gardens, an urban garden and event venue, wakes up between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. each day — depending on if he’s taking his neighbor to dialysis. He’s out of the house by 6 a.m. and spends the next six to eight hours doing garden work at Paradigm Gardens and a second location that provides fresh vegetables to local restaurants.

In the evenings, he delivers produce, practices his DJing, works on logistics for upcoming events and creates lesson plans for The Paradigm School, the state’s first Montessori-style gardening school.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to put smiles on people’s faces and provide a platform for other talented and hardworking artists, chefs, musicians, craft-makers, etc.,” Tilton says. “I thoroughly enjoy and am passionate about everything I do, which is a tremendous blessing that I reflect on and give thanks for daily.”

Tilton knows his life could have been much different.

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He was expelled from middle and high school, but turned things around thanks in part to his love of reggae. He now shares that love as the founder of the New Orleans Reggae Fest and New Orleans Caribbean Fest.

“Reggae was my gateway into Caribbean culture,” Tilton says. “I’ve been blessed to travel and live in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Sint Maarten, Colombia, Brazil, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and Honduras.” — AM

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her hometown of New Orleans for her career.

“I love this city and I’ve always seen it as resilient,” Rajo says. “It was always my goal to help people here overcome challenges and get back to enjoying their life in New Orleans.”

Rajo is director of the University Medical Center Trauma Recovery Clinic and co-director of the Spirit of Charity Trauma Center Psychiatry Research Unit. She meets with every patient who comes into the hospital with a traumatic injury, offering emotional support and outreach.

“It reduces barriers to psychological care,” she says. “Some people don’t want to go to a mental health clinic because they feel there is a stigma or they may not realize they can get help.”

As part of a broader approach to address violence prevention and trauma recovery in New Orleans, Rajo is working with community organizers to obtain funding for a full-scale trauma recovery center that would be the largest of its kind in the city.

“If we could expand our services, we could reach so many more people,” she says. “New Orleans has experienced a lot of trauma, from hurricanes to violent crime. There is a lot of healing that needs to be done. Expanding these services would reach people who need support, whether it’s years down the road or immediately after something traumatic.” — AM

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Like most New Orleanians, Remy Robert developed a passion for food at a young age. She developed recipes and cookbooks, but felt called to do more to help chefs and restaurants. That led Robert to the role of director of community relations at the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) when it opened in 2019.

“I think food is that perfect intersection of a creative art and a basic human need,” Robert says. “To see generations of NOCHI students discover their identity at the same time they are discovering their vocation is really exciting. It’s thrilling and humbling to see what the future looks like.”

NOCHI’s growth has coincided with major societal reckonings, and Robert has embraced the opportunities those challenges have created. Her leadership at NOCHI has helped the organization

create diversity, equity and inclusion policies, ensure a diversity of instructors and maintain relationships with its alumni.

Robert is ready to take that work to the next level. She’s heavily involved in NOCHI’s role in a two-year cohort of New Orleans restaurants, hotels and other entities that addresses equity issues in hospitality, including affordable housing, minimum wage and diverse representation across all job levels.

“It fills me with hope to see operators coming together for larger systemic reform,” she says. “Hospitality has historically been filled with a lot of fringe identities that tend to be harder for people to advocate for, so it’s exciting to see how we are all coming together and standing up for positive change.” — AM

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Teresa Thomas’ first childhood chore was watering houseplants, nurturing her mother’s hobby as a plant enthusiast.

Today, she runs Crazy Plant Bae at 716 Claiborne Ave., offering a range of plants and

BLAIR CASEY,

37

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TEAM GLEASON FOUNDATION New Orleans native Blair Casey was playing football for Millsaps College, which was home to the New Orleans Saints training camp, when he ran into a familiar face: his former babysitter, Michel Rae Varisco, then-girlfriend of Saints safety Steve Gleason.

That reunion — and an introduction to Gleason — sparked a decades-long friendship and career dedicated to advocating for the ALS community through technological innovations.

Following his ALS diagnosis, Gleason started the Team Gleason Foundation, which creates partnerships with companies like Microsoft to leverage technology to help people with ALS remain independent. This includes providing power wheelchairs and devices that can be controlled with eye movements.

“Until there’s a cure for ALS, technology is the cure,” says Casey, executive director of Team Gleason Foundation. “When the disease was progressing and Steve was losing something, technology gave it back. Whether it’s

Y. FRANK SOUTHALL,

your hands that go first and you need voice recognition, whether it’s your voice that goes and you need a synthetic voice, we know the benefit of technology and how it can provide an additional layer of independence. As the technology evolves and changes, we’re at the forefront.”

Team Gleason has provided more than $15 million in assistive technology for people living with ALS to help them continue to live productive lives. Technology created through the Gleason Foundation helps assist people with a variety of disabilities.

“Steve’s ‘hair-brained’ idea about driving his wheelchair with his eyes is now distributed and used around the world,” Casey says. “The first video I saw of a kid benefiting from it, a 10-year-old kid with cerebral palsy, it blew me away. I am very proud to be in Steve’s life.” — JP

39

ORGANIZING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER JANE PLACE NEIGHBORHOOD SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE When Y. Frank Southall was a kid in Cincinnati, plans for a hospital were set to destroy his home. So his mom took him door to door, canvassing to protect it, giving him his first taste of housing advocacy.

It wasn’t until he got to college, though, that he really dove in, under the tutelage of renowned sociologist Patricia Hill Collins.

“She taught me that where people live determines more about their lives,” Southall says. “More about who they are, who they marry, the future of their children, what kind of jobs people have — than anything else.”

After doing community organizing across the country — in Washington, D.C., Oakland, and Baltimore, to name a few — Southall now oversees organizing, policy building and event planning for Jane Place, a New Orleans-based housing rights advocacy group.

Southall emphasized that short-term rentals have only increased after the city made a push to regulate them — mostly because there’s no solid enforcement mechanism.

“I was riding my bike up Cleveland [Avenue] and saw whole blocks of houses with lock boxes and no cars on the streets,” Southall says. “And you can just tell they’re all short-term rentals.”

Southall was instrumental in building policy to establish the right to legal representation in New Orleans eviction courts, which has now become a permanent part of the city’s budgets. He and his team at Jane Place are currently trying to find ways people can report habitability issues to the city. — LP

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TAVIA OSBEY,

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ARTIST MANAGER CO-FOUNDER MIDCITIZEN Tavia Osbey can trace it all back to a class she decided to take at Southern University at New Orleans. During her last year, she signed up for a speech class — Osbey says she was “really shy,” but she needed an elective and wanted to challenge herself.

An extra credit assignment for the class pushed her to go to an open mic, and Osbey chose to

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products. She also educates people on how to create backyard gardens and how to care for their plants.

“We do a lot of enrichment and education work in schools and with older adults,” Thomas says.

Crazy Plant Bae teaches children at schools and summer camps how to connect plants to the food they eat and form an appreciation for the land.

“The connections and stories that people have about plants keep me interested,” Thomas says. “It’s remarkable to hear about someone’s grandmother’s plant collection or a garden that they kept as a kid at home. Plants create that connection for a lot of us back to a time when life was simpler. Being able to be that bridge between our ancestral connection and kids is great.”

In the height of the pandemic, Thomas said caring for plants was therapeutic for all ages.

“Plants provided hope for people and a new leaf to look forward to,” she says. “The transfer of positive energy from plants to people helped keep us all grounded.”

Her love for healthy eating habits and an appreciation for the environment led to the creation of the vegan food festival Vegan2TheSoul, now in its fifth year and set for July 24 at Lemann Park on Claiborne.

“It’s an opportunity to connect with the small businesses in the city that are making magic with plant-based options,” she says. — JP

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check out Red Star Gallerie, where Tarriona “Tank” Ball performed. But funnily enough, Osbey didn’t stay for the full open mic and had to hear from her younger sister about Ball’s performance. Still, her sister’s excitement led Osbey to Ball and Team Slam New Orleans, and over time Osbey and Ball became close friends.

“I went from having my sister telling me what happened to me wanting to know what happened and being a part of what happened,” Osbey says. “During that time, Tank would jokingly tell people I was her manager. I don’t know what she saw in me — but really it was what we saw in each other in that space.”

Any lighthearted jokes, though, became reality as Osbey stepped into the manager role. She and Ball became a tight team, relying on one another as they both dove into the unknown. By early 2011, Osbey had graduated SUNO with a degree in business entrepreneurship and had quit her jobs as a 911 operator and at the USDA. From there, working with Ball grew into also managing Tank and the Bangas. Osbey then met artist manager Reid Martin, who invited her to work with his SimplePlay presents. In 2018, Osbey, Martin and Max Bonanno created MidCitizen Entertainment, whose management portfolio includes Big Freedia, Sweet Crude and Alfred Banks, among other musicians.

Osbey, who grew up in Bywater and on the West Bank, sees a need to grow New Orleans’ music infrastructure, the network of management companies, labels, studios, lawyers, publicists and other aspects of the music industry. It’s one of the reasons they started MidCitizen.

A Black woman working in a white male-dominated industry, Osbey also knows there’s a need for more women of color in management roles.

“Anytime I meet a Black person behind the scenes that is welcoming and open, especially a Black woman, I feel honored and happy and ecstatic [to meet] someone who looks like me, who understands. It’s a warm embrace,” she says. — JC

SARAH OMOJOLA,

38

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE When Sarah Omojola began teaching, she saw schools that mirrored maximum security prisons. The inequity in the school system, little investment in resources for students and her deep passion for fairness all sparked her journey to change policy to work for people within the Black, Brown, poor and LGBTQ+ community.

“Schools that were just eight miles apart were in completely different worlds,” Omojola says. “The first year I was a teacher, I lost at least four of my kids to gun violence, and later lost more.”

Her time at the Welcoming Project and the Southern Poverty Law Center taught Omojola that equity and social justice begin at home. Omojola is a proponent of prevention and support that sets up families and youth for success.

“I learned a lot about how systems in the country and the state are

MARION HILL,

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FILMMAKER

PHOTO BY CAMIL L E LE N A I N

Independent filmmakers often have to wear a lot of hats.

“I wore all of them,” says local filmmaker Marion Hill about making her award-winning debut feature “Ma Belle, My Beauty.”

Hill was working as a videographer for WWOZ while scraping together a budget to shoot the film in less than a month in southern France.

She wrote and directed the feature starring local actresses Idella Johnson and Hannah Pepper as former partners in a polyamorous relationship who are suddenly reunited.

The hard work paid off, as the Sundance Institute awarded Hill a grant to finish production, and the film then won an audience

believes no one should be forced to endure the mental and physical side effects of pregnancy.

Omojola advocates for free childcare and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education for Louisiana schools. She was also recognized as a recipient of the 2019 Angel Award from Blue Cross and Blue Shield and served on District Attorney Jason Williams’ 2021 transition team to rebuild public trust and transparency between the public and elected officials.

— DOMONIQUE TOLLIVER

award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. It also ran in the New Orleans Film Festival, opened a national theatrical run last August and recently began distribution in Europe, Latin America, Australia and Japan.

Last year, Hill also filmed a music video for Tank and the Bangas for “Big,” featuring Big Freedia.

She recently created a short documentary for a series on Asian-American heroes commissioned by The Asian American Foundation. The film profiles Thien Nguyen, a fisherman based in Dulac, who was active in representing Vietnamese fishermen affected by the BP oil disaster.

“Their livelihood has never been the same since, and there’s a generational shift away from fishing,” Hill says. “There were hundreds of Vietnamese-owned fishing boats, but now there are a dozen.”

Hill moved to New Orleans in 2017 because of its film industry, though she had visited before during Jazz Fest while performing in a funk band.

Currently she is completing the script for her next feature film, which will be set in New Orleans. She hopes to complete shooting it by the end of spring 2023. — WC

DEVENEY MARSHALL,

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FOUNDER AND CEO THE DATC FOUNDER AND CEO MARA CREATIVE AGENCY Deveney Marshall can’t remember a time when she wasn’t giving back to her community. While the arts have been a passion in her life, she said her passions also lie in making sure everyone has a quality life and livelihood.

At age 14, Marshall saw Hurricane Katrina impacting New Orleanians’ mental health and decided to pursue psychology once she entered college.

After college, she worked in mental health rehabilitation clinics in the city. But while working in mental health, Marshall began missing the arts and not long after landed a role in the 2016 remake of the miniseries “Roots.”

“That opened doors for me to do other things within the acting world,” Marshall says. “I had to figure out a way to fuse my two loves, and for me, that was creating [Dev and The City].”

She formed her nonprofit multimedia company Dev and The City (DATC) in 2015 to empower women and give men-

JEN ROBERTS,

39

CEO AGENDA FOR CHILDREN Investing in the younger generation of New Orleans is at the core of Jen Roberts’ journey. New Orleans has always felt like home to Roberts, and after growing up on the Gulf Coast, she decided to plant roots in the city in 2002.

Though Hurricane Katrina displaced her and her family around the Gulf Coast, Roberts says she came back to be part of the city’s rebuilding and to make education investments.

“I felt like it was a really powerful way for me to support community leaders,” Roberts says. “Doing the work that was important to them as well as to support communities directly in their own desired efforts to improve and recover.”

In 2021, she was named CEO of Agenda for Children, a statewide child advocacy organization. Since then she worked to pass the Yes for NOLA Kids millage in April that will invest $40 million in infant and childcare in the city. Roberts said the millage will provide free childcare to upSPONSORED BY

tal health support. Marshall says social change is a large aspect of two community-based initiatives — THEWELLDOWNEXPERIENCE, which provides wellness care through yoga, and The Baddies on a Mission Project, which is a monetary give-back initiative to combat income disparities for Black women. Baddies on a Mission gave away about $3,000 to communities affected by Hurricane Ida. As a creative entrepreneur, Marshall hopes to make a sustainable difference in the community, creating resources, jobs, and educational tools that impact people’s livelihoods.

Marshall also launched a digital marketing agency in 2017 named Mara Creative Agency, which became a six-figure business in 2021. She was also recognized as a 2021 Majority Leader and is a spokesperson for the #SleevesUpLA campaign with the Louisiana Department of Health. — DT

wards of 2,000 families which will allow caretakers to seek employment, promotions or education opportunities.

Roberts also is a mentor in the Loyola Women’s Leadership Academy and was a 2019 Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Fellow. She currently serves as a member of the statewide advisory board for the Louisiana Department of Education for early education.

She was previously the senior vice president of Baptist Community Ministries and a chair of Louisiana’s paid family leave task force.

Roberts says her predecessors who started Agenda for Children continue to inspire her and she is grateful for their legacy of leadership that she can stand on today. — DT

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run,” Omojola says. “We don’t have enough services, support and financial investment in upstream things that would keep young people from ending up in the system — or that keep families from being broken.”

Omojola advocates for reproductive rights and access to health care for all people.

She recently spoke at the State Capitol against House Bill 813, which would’ve classified personhood as beginning with a fertilized egg. Omojola said pregnancy made her even more pro-abortion rights as she

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35

MUSICIAN FLAGBOY THE WILD TCHOUPITOULAS When a Black Masking Indian steps out on Mardi Gras Day in their new suit, onlookers are seeing only the end result of a year of hard work. Behind that intricate, beautiful suit is a thousand hours of sewing — and thousands of dollars.

Each new Indian suit is an expensive undertaking, which is why Aaron “Gizmo” Hartley, Flagboy of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, dove headfirst into helping Indians write grants. In 2021, Hartley helped secure more than $70,000 in grant money for other Indians and other groups, including The Prince of Wales Social Aid and Pleasure Club, of which he’s a member.

“Every day would just be more and more,” Hartley says. “Before you know it, I’ve got three or four grants to do today, three or four grants to do tomorrow.”

Hartley learned to navigate the grants process from Demond Melancon, Big Chief of the Young Seminole Hunters, and Klervae

BREE ANDERSON,

29

AUTHOR CO-FOUNDER DAUGHTERS BEYOND INCARCERATION CEO EMBRACE SPACE With recent crime in New Orleans, Bree Anderson says children and families are significantly affected by normalized trauma, especially if they are impacted by the mass incarceration system.

Anderson co-founded Daughters Beyond Incarceration (DBI) in 2018 to educate girls and support them holistically while their par-

Stinson, grants manager at the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund. Now, he helps others in the community write grants.

Hartley, who grew up in Pontchartrain Park, started masking with the Wild Tchoupitoulas in 2015 and several of his suits have been noticed, including the camo-patterned “Ancestor Suit” with beaded work paying tribute to Soulja Slim and 5th Ward Weebie. This year, Hartley’s blazing red, white and blue “Critical Race Theory Suit” tells the story of the Robert Charles riots.

On Mardi Gras Day 2021, Hartley released his full-length debut album “Flagboy of the Nation.”

His music builds on Indian music traditions while mixing in hip-hop and bounce. Earlier this year, he released the Mannie Fresh-produced track “Uptown,” and an EP is planned for this summer. — JC

ent is incarcerated. Mass incarceration directly impacted her life when her dad wrongfully received multiple life sentences in Angola, ultimately serving 23-and-a-half years. Anderson’s father was deemed wrongfully convicted and exonerated in 2015 with the help of the Innocence Project.

“Watching my mother forced to be a single mom inspired me to share my story with young ladies across the world,” says Anderson, a New Orleans native. “To show them that despite your traumatic experiences, you’re still resilient; you still can thrive and be successful while being a child of an incarcerated parent.”

Anderson said helping youth bridge the communication gap

MONIQUE LORDEN,

AUTHOR, ARTIST PUBLISHER 1985 POET

P H OTO P ROVI D ED BY BREE AND ERS O N

tion team and the Community Advisory Group Safety & Justice committee. Anderson serves on the Innocence Project New Orleans Young Professional Committee to defy society’s stereotype of children with incarcerated parents. — DT

S. MANDISA MOORE-O’NEAL,

36

FOUNDER MOORE-O’NEAL LAW GROUP LITIGATION AND POLICY DIRECTOR FRONTLINE LEGAL SERVICES S. Mandisa Moore-O’Neal believes it’s important that her work as a social justice attorney remain relevant to her background in grassroots organizating. Before attending law school, she was an organizer for Black feminist reproductive justice groups, and she continues to surround herself with activists, writers and artists. “Not just lawyers,” she says.

“Lawyering is a tool that must support this work, not be a hindrance,” she says.

The native New Orleanian says getting a law degree “grounded me in a particular way. I continued this work during and after law school, which made it very clear how to use my law degree in support of this work.”

36

P H OTO BY NATH AN PAU L

As a litigator, she’s brought five federal cases against local and state law enforcement for mistreatment of Black protesters after Baton Rouge police officers killed Alton Sterling in 2016. She also works to prevent employment discrimination and takes on cases involving HIV decriminalization.

Moore-O’Neal says at her core, she’s an abolitionist who strives to dismantle systemic violence and racism. “It’s about imagining and visioning a world without punitive responses to violence and harm,” she says.

Her ongoing work is part of a mission to create a New Orleans where the “working class Black people who built the city can remain and thrive,” she says. — SR

Monique Lorden still remembers the name of her first published poem, which made it into a poetry anthology when she was just 9 years old: “Black Child, Where Are You Going?” Though Hurricane Katrina destroyed her family’s copy of the anthology, that poem helped jumpstart her passion for art and writing.

Lorden, who is also a software engineer, started her own publishing company, 1985 Poet, a few years ago. She says it was important for her to publish her own books because she wanted to “own the spaces that I see myself in.”

She published three of her own books in two years, including two poetry collections and a children’s book, “I Wish for Freedom.” The latter, which she also helped illustrate, teaches children about freedom and equality, concepts she said her child had been asking about.

“It tells a story of wanting those things from a child’s eyes,” she says. “They want to know what that is, too. They want to understand it on their level.”

Lorden is also a visual artist and won the 2021 NOLA Has Wiiings contest by the New Orleans Pelicans, Red Bull, and Bmike’s BE Collective for her painted basketball goal. She’s currently working on a permanent light sculpture as part of the Gentilly Resilience District, alongside a team of artists working on several installations, that she says will be completed by the end of the year. — KP SPONSORED BY

KACI MCGUIRE,

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OWNER, INSTRUCTOR SAFE SWIM Owner of Safe Swim Kaci McGuire brings practically a lifetime of swimming and water safety knowledge to a diverse crowd of South Louisianans.

Her mission is to make swimming more accessible — including to marginalized populations that have not historically been able to learn these essential, lifesaving skills. McGuire offers courses in multiple languages, including Portuguese and Spanish, as well as discounted classes for those who face financial challenges. She also trains lifeguards and teaches private and group lessons.

“Swimming has long been a sport that was not accessible to most people,” she says. “Historically, it’s just been wealthy white people.”

McGuire grew up swimming along with her five siblings, and her skills are a product of generous coaches and older siblings when money was tight.

By the age of 15, she was already teaching swim lessons to younger kids, and over the next several years she built a solid reputation as an instructor.

As a single mom who launched Safe Swim right before the COVID-19 shutdowns, she’s faced many challenges, but she’s finally seeing the business grow as demand swells. She was once a “one-woman show” but now has a staff of 15 and hopes to keep growing.

“My goal is that everyone in New Orleans knows how to swim,” she says. “[People] call and say they can’t afford the standard pricing. There was a lady who came in all the way from Independence. She was like “nobody out there speaks my language,’ so we worked with her child in another language. For people who traditionally haven’t had access to swim lessons, now they do.” — SR

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between themselves and their incarcerated parent can actually help reduce recidivism once the parent re-enters society.

DBI provides youth with mental health healing circles, academic support, restorative healing and youth advocacy.

Anderson and DBI also worked to pass Louisiana Act 284, which created a council to establish rights for children of incarcerated parents and their caregivers.

Anderson has been nominated for several awards including Forbes 30 under 30, Forbes Next 1000, Champion of Change and the 2022 Image Award from the Crown Me Foundation.

She also has served as a former committee member of the NAACP, District Attorney Jason Williams’ 2021 transi-

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MARK SCHETTLER,

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GENERAL MANAGER BAR TONIQUE CO-FOUNDER SHIFT CHANGE

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Working in some of the city’s most popular drinking and dining spots has given Bar Tonique’s general manager Mark Schettler an in-depth perspective of what goes on behind the scenes for hospitality workers.

He co-founded Shift Change to help survivors of sexual violence and intimate partner violence within the industry.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, it morphed into a national nonprofit. Its annual “Tip Out Day” encourages service industry workers across the country to donate a portion of their tips to organizations that help survivors.

“I learned from a young age that you don’t get to turn your back on an abuse of power,” the Los Angeles native says. “I got into all this work because I wanted powerful people to stop hurting people I care about.”

Schettler also has collaborated with the New Orleans Family Justice Center’s Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Action Coalition, leading a training program to address violence, prevention, intervention and response. He also worked with Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Metairie Republican, to require sexual violence materials be included in statewide Safe Server Certifications. His advocacy work expanded amid the COVID-19 pandemic when he saw his fellow industry workers struggling with long hours while facing public health risks.

“There’s a lot in front of us right now,” he says, “but I have faith in my feet to put my hands where they can be of greatest impact.” — SR

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MARC OWEN WELLER,

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37

WETLAND ECOLOGIST PONTCHARTRAIN CONSERVANCY

PH OTO BY N O E C UG NY

Leyla McCalla moved to New Orleans from New York in the dead of summer circa 2010 because she thought the city would be a good place to figure out what she wanted to do musically. She was living in Aurora Nealand’s attic and busking in the French Quarter when she met the manager of string-band The Carolina Chocolate Drops.

She joined the band and “went from busking on the street to playing sold out shows all over the United States and really learning about the music business in a way that I really hadn’t ... before,” she says.

At the time, McCalla, whose parents immigrated from Haiti and were Haitian human rights activists, heard a lot of “reverence for history and traditional music in Louisiana” — from trad jazz to swing dancing — but didn’t see a lot of Haitian representation despite the country’s cultural connections to New Orleans.

“I felt like there was a huge disconnect,” she says.

“How can this place exist within the cultural realm of Haiti but have no acknowledgement of Haiti anywhere?”

Through her career, McCalla has acted as an unofficial cultural ambassador for Haiti in the city, helping share the ways the country’s past is still well and alive in the present. Haiti was the first independent Black nation in the Western Hemisphere and was founded on the principle of abolishing slavery.

“We are still reeling from the effects of the transatlantic slave trade,” she says. “We don’t like to talk about it in the United States because people think that’s just the past and let sleeping dogs lie, but those sleeping dogs are still in prison at Angola.”

Her show “Breaking the Thermometer to Hide the Fever” premiered locally in December, combining live music, dance and archival footage to tell the story of Radio Haiti and the assassination of its owner in 2000.

In May, she released her album adapted from the show, “Breaking the Thermometer,” which The Guardian recently named one of its “best albums of 2022 so far.” She’s currently on tour, opening for Canadian indie singer Neko Case. — KP

As a kid growing up in Washington state, Marc Owen Weller was always drawn to the outdoors. An avid reader of National Geographic, he dreamed of being a photographer for the magazine. Instead, his career took him into nature and conservation work in the Northwest and North Carolina before he moved to New Orleans in 2010 to focus on the Gulf Coast.

“I’ve always thought of New Orleans as being unlike anywhere else in the country, and that really attracted me here,” Weller says. “It stood out because of its culture and the opportunities to do really important work on the coast.”

As a wetland ecologist at the Pontchartrain Conservancy, one of Weller’s main focuses is introducing kids to nature and conservation. He and his team created nurseries at schools in New Orleans East and St. John The Baptist Parish to help students learn planting skills and the

RAE BANKS TURNER,

37

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS NEW HARMONY HIGH SCHOOL

Rae Banks Turner’s career as director of operations for New Harmony High School was born of necessity.

“I wanted to be a part of the change I want to see in schools for my own children,” she says. “When I grabbed the honorable opportunity to be a part of a team that was actually building a school, I was able to expound upon this dream.”

A recent major milestone for the Esplanade Avenue school, which focuses on coastal restoration and preservation, was graduating 48 students in May, the first graduating class in the organization’s history.

Banks Turner leads what she describes as “the entire engine of the school” as the head of the support staff, creating a culture where all students feel safe to grow and learn.

“As a mother of three, I’m always thinking of how far I would want someone to reach for my kids,” she says.

In addition to classroom instruction,

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importance of Louisiana’s wetlands. He’s also working with local school leaders to incorporate more environmental education in middle and high schools.

“I think it’s critical to begin teaching kids about these issues early on,” Weller says. “We’re not going to be able to solve environmental problems and avoid creating new problems unless we as a society, including kids, understand the issues and how to address them.” — AM

each New Harmony High student has a fellowship where they work with a mentor in a profession of their interest, learning in a real-world setting.

“Our community thrives in strong traditions, rich culture, and endless creativity,” Banks Turner says. “There are so many schools looking to take a progressive approach in education. The ideas are really fresh and exciting to watch unfold. New Orleans has a way of producing beautiful energy that makes us always want to come home.”

In the future, Banks Turner hopes to create a nonprofit organization that teaches mothers, especially women of color, how to cope with and overcome postpartum depression. — JP

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ALEX SMITH,

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CO-FOUNDERS PRESCRIPTION JOY As actors, clowns and professional theater-makers, Becca Chapman and Alex Smith depend on their bodies. For both of them, serious injuries made them think about their work and the healing process.

Smith suffered a broken foot in a car accident that left him unable to perform onstage or do set construction. For Chapman, a fall during a trapeze act left her with a serious concussion.

“I flew off a trapeze and hit my head, and it took two years to fully recover from a concussion. It was so terrifying to no longer feel in control of my body,” Chapman says.

They saw an opportunity to use their performing experiences to help others heal and launched Prescription Joy in 2017.

They started visiting hospitals to provide comic relief to patients, as well as their family members and staff.

“You’re using performative tools for something that’s therapeutic,” Chapman says.

“It’s not always about laughs,” Smith explains.

“We meet the patients where they’re at. Sometimes a visit looks like, ‘Hey, there is a plunger

stuck to my head, isn’t that silly.’ Other times it’s, ‘Your family members are coming today, what do you like about your uncle?’”

Currently, their nonprofit employs six additional clowns, and they visit Children’s Hospital New Orleans, Ochsner Hospital for Children and other medical centers in the region as well as nursing home facilities and the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter.

Their work includes inroom visits, short shows in waiting rooms and physical therapy areas, as well as assisting at vaccine drives.

When the Covid shutdowns began, Prescription Joy shifted to Zoom and made the sessions interactive. They also were among the first organizations invited back inside hospitals when Covid protocols were relaxed.

During the pandemic, they also launched a virtual escape room game.

Chapman is currently studying palliative care and expects Prescription Joy to start programming for end-oflife care for patients and their families.

Prescription Joy is part of a North American Federation of Healthcare Clown Organizations and will host the group’s annual meeting next year in New Orleans. — WC

GABRIELLE WASHINGTON,

32

MUSICIAN During the early days of the pandemic, Gabrielle Washington and her husband, Dexter Gilmore, launched a YouTube channel called The Chamber, on which they livestreamed wide-ranging conversations music, tech and more. Both are musicians — Washington performs as Delores Galore and Gilmore fronts the futurefunk outfit SDTF (which also includes Washington) — so in those lockdown days of spring 2020, they just wanted a way to perform.

“Me and Dexter like vaporwave, and malls are popular with vaporwave for some reason,” Washington says. “So, what if we created a mall where you could see live performances, you can buy merch from artists, you can just chat with people, have avatars, and it could feel like a community?”

They dug into videos on YouTube and built Virtua Mall filled with 1980s-esque neons, a stage where the synth-pop project Delores Galore could perform, kiosks and a movie theater showing music videos. Users could access the mall through a web browser and wander around with directional keys and mouse.

MIKE ANTOINE,

39

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY SENIOR ADVISOR INSTITUTE FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT As a firefighter after Hurricane Katrina, Mike Antoine worked two months without a break doing search and rescues. He vividly remembered seeing rows of kids on floating mattresses pushed by their parents, searching for higher ground.

“It’s motivation for me to make sure we don’t have images like that again,” says Antoine, who soon will be appointed LSU’s Director of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Despite being 39, Antoine already has more than 20 years of work in public safety. He started out with the New Orleans Fire Department at age 19, worked his way up to be the youngest captain there, then pivoted to more planning, training, liaison and communication based work in various public safety roles.

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40

The mall has been quiet recently, but she plans to upgrade Virtua Mall for future opportunities.

“Even though things are opening up, certain things get canceled because Covid is still here,” Washington says. “There are people who never get to leave their house, so we want them to feel included, too.”

Originally from northern Virginia, Washington and Gilmore moved to New Orleans in 2013 and have become familiar faces in the indie music community. Washington has become a champion for Black women and non-binary artists in indie pop and electronica. As Delores Galore, she’s released three EPs, including the ambient album, “LEON,” in April.

Washington and Gilmore also host an indie game development meet-up, “Show & Tell,” at the Sea Cave on St. Claude Avenue. “There’s not a lot of Black people in gaming, sadly,” Washington says. “There were some Black kids that came into ‘Show & Tell’ and they were excited to see two Black people doing it.” — JC

In 2018, Mayor LaToya Cantrell appointed him deputy director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness and, in 2021, became chief of staff of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

During his deputy director role, Antoine restructured the city evacuation plan, designed to send 40,000 people out in 24 hours. Initially, the plan only used three bus lanes, but under Antoine, it expanded to nine bus lanes, airlines and trains to make evacuation more efficient.

Antoine jokes that whenever he attends public safety conferences, his peers from other parts of the country seek him out because they know New Orleans emergency planning is like playing 3D chess.

“Unfortunately, New Orleans gets tested too much,” he says. “But it’s always good to share that knowledge of how to stay safe.” — LP

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New Moon

FORK + CENTER

Flour Moon Bagels opens on the Lafitte Greenway

|

by Beth D’Addono

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

THE PHASES OFTHEMOON HAPPEN EVERY 29DAYS. What starts out as full —

which is called the Flower Moon in May — becomes gibbous, about three-quarters full, then half, and then a sliver that just about disappears.

Flour Moon Bagels’ name was inspired by the beginning of the cycle when Breanne Kostyk started her bagel business in earnest in May 2021.

Flour Moon Bagels opened its brick-and-mortar location at 457 N. Dorgenois St. on June 4. It sits on the Lafitte Greenway between HEY Coffee Co. and the soon-to-open Skeeta Hawk Brewing. Flour Moon is already killing it, with bagels flying out the door along with 100 breakfast bagel egg sandwiches on a recent weekend morning.

“Opening this felt so natural,” Kostyk says. “I thought I’d be really nervous and not know what I was doing, but it just gets better and better.”

The 35-year-old self-taught pastry chef started rolling bagels at home three weeks after she had a double mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis. “I was recovering, and I was bored,” she says. That also was during the height of the pandemic, so she was really stuck sheltering — and baking — in place.

At her former job as pastry chef at the Ace Hotel, Kostyk had played around with bagels and gotten rave reviews from guests.

Kostyk met her now business and life partner Jeff Hinson in 2019. The couple noticed the empty space by HEY because they were regulars who live nearby. Kostyk thought it would make a great bagel shop.

Hinson wasn’t sure they could afford it, but the landlord lobbied hard to make it happen. “The neighborhood was starved for bagels,” she told them. This swathe of Mid-City and Bayou St. John is home to more than 36,000 residents, notes Hinson, who has a background in marketing.

What makes an exceptional bagel boils down to technique, which includes boiling and the quality of the ingredients, Kostyk says. She proofs dough overnight for better flavor, uses high-gluten King Arthur

Empty cups

IT WAS A STEAMY NEW ORLEANS AFTERNOON when Aprille Raabe Busch and

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER

flour and generous amounts of toppings. “I was literally weighing the seeds to be sure there were enough allotted per bagel,” she says.

The bagels are solid, from sea salt (which Kostyk calls “our plain”) to rosemary-salt, everything, sesame and poppy seed. On Fridays, there also are onion bialy with caraway seeds. Schmear options include plain and scallion cream cheese along with fancy butter.

The two most popular menu items are the breakfast sandwich and the Full Moon tartine. The sandwich is topped with a folded egg, American and muenster cheeses and chili crisp mayo, with options to add bacon, house-made sausage or avocado. The Full Moon features lox, cream cheese, cucumber, red onion, capers and fresh herbs.

Also under tartines, which are open-face sandwiches, is the New Moon, slathered with scallion cream cheese and dotted with shiny salmon roe that pop salty goodness with every bite, in addition to avocado, thinly sliced radish and herbs. A Harvest Moon is a vegan option topped with a roasted carrot spread, tahini, cucumber red onion, Castelvetrano olives, herbs and the house-made duqqa topping made with herbs and nuts. The Fortuna

Breanne Kostyk opened Flour Moon Bagels. is layered with tonnato, heirloom tomato and a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs.

Kostyk credits her staff with how well things have been going. She was hired by a chef who took a chance on her, so Kostyk now wants to offer opportunities to others new to the industry.

“Everybody is fantastic,” she says.

“I’ve hired quite a few people who didn’t have restaurant experience.

One of my bakers hasn’t been professional for long, but she sure knows how to roll bagels.”

Flour Moon is a charming space, with a big open patio and a color scheme Kostyk calls dusk. “We wanted the pinks, oranges and purples that you see when the moon is just starting to rise,” she says.

She also plans to add kosher fish salads from Brooklyn, batched and frozen cocktails and, in the not-toodistant future, another location that might include a commissary.

Although they sell HEY drip coffee and cold brew, Kostyk says Flour Moon isn’t a coffee shop.

“Most of our customers get their cappuccino at HEY and then come to us,” she says. “We can barely keep up with the bagels.”

?

WHAT

Flour Moon Bagels

WHERE

457 N. Dorgenois St.; flourmoonbagels.com

WHEN

Breakfast and lunch Thursday-Monday

HOW

Dine-in, takeout

CHECK IT OUT

House-made bagels and bagel sandwiches

Celene Hadley took a table at the Columns Hotel on St. Charles Avenue during a weekend visit from Texas.

The longtime friends previously lived in New Orleans and know its particular summer survival skills, including the ability of a long, tall glass of Pimm’s Cup to tame a sweltering day.

Their order for two such doses of deliverance, however, brought a disquieting revelation.

“The waiter came back and said ‘I have bad news. We only have enough for one. There is a citywide Pimm’s shortage,’” Busch says.

Hadley scored the last Pimm’s Cup on hand, her friend settled for Champagne, and the two travelers ran straight into one of the most New Orleans-centric of the many shortages and supply chain problems across the economy.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

A pair of Pimm’s Cup cocktails at Bar Tonique.

At issue is the availability of Pimm’s, the English liqueur that is essential to mixing a Pimm’s Cup. The light-tasting, usually low-alcohol sipper is a summer essential over in the United Kingdom, and it has a second home in New Orleans. It’s been a signature at the landmark Napoleon House bar for so long that it has become a New Orleans bucket list drink — one adopted by plenty of other bars.

But supplies of the drink’s first ingredient have grown tighter in recent weeks, and that’s spurred high anxiety at Napoleon House.

Chris Montero, chef and general manager of Napoleon House, says he understands from his Pimm’s distributor that a large shipment is on the way, but it’s overdue.

“For most bars, a case of Pimm’s would be a lot,” he says. “Most PAGE 32

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places might keep one or two bottles around, but we have a separate room just to store Pimm’s. We try to keep 20 cases on hand.”

Montero wagered the bar was down to 10 cases, which he considers a critically low level for the typical demand there.

“A lot of people who order them don’t even know what it is. They just know it’s a signature drink in New Orleans and they should try it,” Montero says. “We have to have our signature drink.”

Pimm’s itself is a gin-based liqueur, flavored with herbs, with a dark red hue and the taste of spiced fruit. The classic Pimm’s Cup recipe, as prepared at Napoleon House, adds lemonade, 7 Up and cucumber for a gentle aperitif.

Southern Glazer’s is the local distributor that handles Pimm’s, a brand that’s now part of the global spirits giant Diageo.

At Dorignac’s Food Center, the Metairie grocery known for its large spirits selection, the shelf where Pimm’s usually stands also was emptied.

“Someone came in and cleared out every bottle we have,” says grocery co-owner Nicole Dorignac, surmising it might’ve been a bartender or bar owner.

The drink is still available at bars with lingering Pimm’s supply, but that stock is going fast.

Bar Tonique, the French Quarter lounge, has made Pimm’s Cup a specialty on its menu and a Monday happy hour fixture. Its supply also ran dry.

Bar manager Mark Schettler mixes a light-tasting version with citrus juices, house-made syrup and sparkling water, and says it’s been a surprisingly big seller for the bar. He’s not surprised that supply chain issues are turning up, since other bar staples from overseas, like Campari and Chartreuse, have encountered similar hiccups recently. — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Bar buzz

A BALANCED BLEND OF SPIRITS FOR FINE COCKTAILS and a nuanced mix

of classic and contemporary are defining features of both Jewel of the South and Peychaud’s.

Now, the two independent French Quarter bars have each gained some major national recognition, landing on Esquire magazine’s annual listing of the 25 “Best Bars in America.”

Both were included in the story

by Kevin Sintumuang appearing in the summer issue of Esquire, part of a national survey of bars.

Both bars strike a different tone from the lowest common denominator of tourist-driven French Quarter bars and reflect both cocktail history and modern style in evocative New Orleans settings.

In other words, they’re precisely the kind of hospitality places that live up to the rich heritage of the French Quarter.

Jewel of the South was opened in 2019 at 1026 St. Louis St. in a Creole townhouse dating to the 1830s. Chris Hannah, a widely known authority on cocktails, is a partner and directs the bar, while chef Phil Whitmarsh serves a contemporary menu informed in large part by modern British styles.

Sintumuang writes that Hannah makes “what are arguably the best cocktails in this town, and thus America. You will have the very best

PHOTO BY CHRIS GR ANGER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Chris Hannah behind the bar at Jewel of the South.

Sazerac here. The very best French 75. And several other obscure historic concoctions he’s dusted off, as well as sublime new creations.

Peychaud’s opened at 727 Toulouse St. in the middle of the pandemic, first getting the shakers moving in April 2021. It’s the latest from Neal Bodenheimer and his partners at Cure Co., which runs the Uptown bar Cure and the restaurants Cane & Table and Vals.

Nicholas Jarrett, a longtime bartender at Cure, the Saint and other bars, runs the drinks program, with a focus on classics.

The property, with an intimate bar and a lush courtyard, was once a home for Antoine Amédée Peychaud, a 19th-century apothecary known to history as one of the most influential people in the realm of cocktails, and namesake of the bitters that remain a bar essential. — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Adrienne Cheatham

OF THE

WEEK

Chef

by Will Coviello AFTER WORKING IN TOP NEW YORK KITCHENS, including eight years

at chef Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin and as executive chef at Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster, and reaching the finals on season 15 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Adrienne Cheatham started a pop-up called Sunday Best. She recently released a “Sunday Best” cookbook based on the Southern dishes she grew up eating in Chicago and Mississippi.

Cheatham and her New Orleansborn husband were married here in 2018. She returns to the city this week for a collaborative dinner with Nina Compton at Bywater American Bistro on Wednesday, June 29. The dinner will feature dishes from her cookbook.

Why did you start your pop-up?

ADRIENNE CHEATHAM: I did special menus (at Red Rooster) to start playing with dishes.

I did “Top Chef” right after I left Red Rooster. I started the pop-up series right after that.

I never saw the food I grew up eating reflected in fine dining. I have worked most of my career in Michelin star fine dining. With Marcus, I did start to see more global influence and more Southern influence. I started to wonder why at a certain level of fine dining, it filters out cuisines of certain cultures.

I actually hosted the first pop-up at Red Rooster. I wasn’t the chef there at the time — Marcus just let me use the space. I had a lot of guests who were regulars at places like Le Bernadin and Daniel and these fine dining restaurants. I did blackened octopus with squid ink grits. I remember doing a roasted pork loin with crispy black-eyed peas, and it was wrapped in collard greens with a roasted pork jus sauce.

When I started working in fine dining, it was like you make your roux with flour and butter, and then you add milk and you’re making bechamel. Then we add cheese which makes it Mornay (sauce). I was like, “OK, that sounds fancy, but that’s exactly what my family does when we make mac and cheese.”

: What’s your vision of Southern food?

C: My dad is from Mississippi and my husband is from New Orleans.

When I was growing up in

Chicago, we would go to Mississippi every summer. One thing we got every summer was hot tamales. We would have Mississippi pot roast, which was made with pepperoncini (peppers) and Italian spices.

I went to college in Tallahassee (at Florida A&M). It’s the largest historically Black college in the country. We had friends from all these places. If you had a long weekend, you can drive eight hours to Miami, or this person is going home to Macon Georgia, or Atlanta, or these people are driving to Texas. Gas was cheaper then. It was easy to take a four-hour road trip. We went to our friends’ homes. Or they would cook their food from home.

I started to see that Southern food isn’t just classic dishes like beignets or Hoppin’ John.

Southern food is incredibly regional. The food they have in eastern Texas is completely different from what they eat in Charleston. That has to do with the immigrant groups that came over. Even Viet-Cajun cuisine is influenced by people who came over in the ’70s. To me, Southern food grows and evolves based on immigrant groups. Black people built the cuisine of America, which is the cuisine of the South. They did that by working with indigenous Americans and indigenous groups from Mexico. That’s where bell peppers and tomatoes come from. Which are staples in a lot of dishes. Cabbages and sausages came from German immigrants and Irish immigrants. We have a history of folding other cultures into Southern cuisine. And I don’t want to see that end. When I travel to Alabama and I am like, “Whoa, there is an influx of Somalian and Ethiopian immigrants” — why not fold in some of their spices and their ingredients into Southern cuisine. It’s just an extension. It’s taking classic things we’re all familiar with and folding in new things.

COURTESY PENGUIN R ANDOM HOUSE

Chef Adrienne Cheatham (center) with her family.

How did your pop-up with Nina Compton come about?

C: We have mutual friends. I have been to her restaurant. My husband and I got married in New Orleans. The day after our wedding, we walked around. We went to Compere Lapin, W.I.N.O., the wine store across the street, Cochon. We took a walking food tour of a lot of different neighborhoods. But we were introduced after my season of “Top Chef.”

I came in second, and a lot of people were like “Oh my god, this is like Nina Compton.” I was like, “What?” I knew there was a Black woman who came in second, but I hadn’t watched (the show).

I saw that she did a dinner with Mashama Bailey. When the cookbook was coming out, I reached out to (Compton). I love her food, I have so much respect for her. I love that she’s fusing her Caribbean background with Creole and Cajun cuisine. I said I’d like to do a dinner when the cookbook comes out.

There are a few dishes from the cookbook we’re going to do. I am doing the boudin-stuffed calamari and a tuna crudo. She sent me a list of local seafood and produce. We’ll make a couple tweaks to use the beautiful ingredients she has there.

We’ll probably do the red miso barbecued quail. In the book, it doesn’t have a stuffing, but for the dinner, we’re going to do it with a stuffing.

For more information, visit adriennecheatham.com.

San Simeon

Cabernet Sauvignon

San Simeon Cabernet Sauvignon offers bright aromas of raspberry and black cherry. Ripe flavors of spicy plum and currant are complemented by nuances of cocoa and cedary oak from barrel aging. Structured tannins provide texture and depth with a lengthy finish.

DISTRIBUTED BY

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O U T T O E AT C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S A T W W W. B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M Out 2 Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

7TH WARD/MARIGNY

Nonno’s Cajun Cuisine and Pastries — 1940 Dauphine St., (504) 354-1364; nonnoscajuncuisineandpastries.com — The menu includes home-style Cajun and Creole dishes with some vegan options. Shrimp is sauteed with onion and bell pepper, topped with cheese and served with two eggs and toast.

Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$

CBD

Common Interest — Hotel Indigo, 705 Common St., (504) 595-5605; commoninterestnola.com — Shrimp remoulade Cobb salad comes with avocado, blue cheese, tomatoes, bacon, egg and corn relish. Debris grits is slow-roasted, seasoned beef served over goat cheese and thyme grits. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; juansflyingburrito.com — See Uptown section for restaurant description. Outdoor dining available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net —The counter-service spot is known for po-boys dressed with cabbage and Creole favorites, such as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The seafood restaurant serves raw and chargrilled oysters, local seafood, burgers, salads and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

CARROLLTON

Mid City Pizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504) 509-6224; midcitypizza.com — See MidCity section for restaurant description.

Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab.

There’s a large menu of sushi, sashimi, rolls, noodle dishes, teriyaki and more.

Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$ Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola.com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese. The menu also includes wings, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches, salads, seafood pasta and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$

FRENCH QUARTER

Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com — The menu includes Creole and creative contemporary dishes. Rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up

macque choux, Creole meuniere sauce and fried almonds. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available.

Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya. Reservations accepted.

Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The menu features Gulf seafood and shellfish in traditional and contemporary Creole dishes, po-boys and more. Char-grilled oysters are topped with Parmesan, herbs and butter. Reservations recommended.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

JEFFERSON/RIVER RIDGE

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; theospizza.com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and toppings to build your own pizza. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Takeout and delivery available.

Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $

LAKEVIEW

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 2842898; thebluecrabnola.com — The menu includes sandwiches, fried seafood platters, boiled seafood and more. Basin barbecue shrimp and grits features jumbo shrimp over cheese grits and a cheese biscuit. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$

METAIRIE

Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Martin Wine Cellar — 714 Elmeer Ave., Metairie, (504) 896-7350; martinwine. com — See Uptown section for restaurant description. No reservations.

Lunch daily. $$ Nephew’s Ristorante — 4445 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, (504) 533-9998; nephewsristorante.com — Chef Frank Catalanotto is the namesake “nephew” who ran the kitchen at Tony Angello’s restaurant. The Creole-Italian menu features dishes like veal, eggplant or chicken parmigiana. Reservations required. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

MID-CITY/TREME

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream.com — This sweet shop serves

its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and other treats. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Frey Smoked Meat Co. — 4141 Bienville St., Suite 110, (504) 488-7427; freysmokedmeat.com — The barbecue restaurant serves pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, brisket, sausages and more. Pork belly poppers are fried cubes of pork belly tossed in pepper jelly glaze. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; juansflyingburrito.com — See Uptown section for restaurant description.

Outdoor dining available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread.

The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available.

Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Mid City Pizza — 4400 Banks St., (504) 483-8609; midcitypizza.com — The neighborhood pizza joint serves New York-style pies, plus calzones, sandwiches and salads. Signature shrimp remoulade pizza includes spinach, red onion, garlic, basil and green onion on an garlic-olive oil brushed curst.

Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes New Orleans favorites such as red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as grilled or fried seafood plates, po-boys, char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads and more. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

NORTHSHORE

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; thebluecrabnola.com — See Lakeview section for restaurant description. No reservations. Lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 2349420; theospizza.com — See Harahan/ Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

UPTOWN

Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997; joeyksrestaurant.com — The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and red beans and rice. Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes.

Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; juansflyingburrito. com — The Flying Burrito includes grilled steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar-jack cheese, black beans, yellow rice, salsa la fonda, guacamole and sour cream. The menu also has tacos, quesadillas, nachos and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations.

Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

Martin Wine Cellar — 3827 Baronne St., (504) 894-7444; martinwine.com — The deli at the wine and spirit shop serves sandwiches, salads and more.

The Sena salad includes pulled roasted chicken, golden raisins, blue cheese, pecans and field greens tossed with Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette. No reservations. Lunch daily. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — The Peruvian menu includes a version of the traditional dish lomo saltado, featuring beef tenderloin tips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice. Dine-in, outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant.com — The menu highlights Gulf seafood in Creole, Cajun and Southern dishes. Fried oysters and skewered bacon are served with meuniere sauce and toasted French bread.

Reservations required. Dinner Thu.Sun. $$$ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. A NOLA Style Grits Bowl is gluten-free and has bacon, cheddar and a poached egg on top of grits. Reservations accepted.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — The Peacock Room offers cocktails, bar snacks and shareable plates. Black lentil vadouvan curry comes with roasted tomatoes, forest mushrooms and basmati rice. Reservations accepted.

Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$

WEST BANK Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The steak selection includes filets mignons, rib-eyes, bone-in rib-eyes and top sirloins. There also are burgers, salads, seafood dishes and more. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available.

Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and more. Baked oysters Mosca is made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings. Curbside pickup available.

Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Tavolino Pizza & Lounge — 141 Delaronde St., (504) 605-3365; tavolinonola.com — The menu features signature thin-crust pizzas as well as salads, pepperoni chips, meatballs and more.

A Behrman Hwy. pizza is topped with citrus-braised pork belly, Vietnamese caramel, nuoc cham-marinated carrots and radishes, jalapeno and herbs. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$

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friends trying to reconnect on a trip to New Orleans for Essence. “Girls Trip” starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 30. Find more information at facebook.com/orpheumnola.

Black Pride Events

A NUMBER OF EVENTS THIS WEEK WILL BRING TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE NEW ORLEANS BLACK LGBTQ COMMUNITY.

The CareFree Black Girl Cookout takes over Culture Park starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 30, and that night a Saints & Sinners leather and latex party starts at 10 p.m. at Traffik Kitchen and Cocktails. On Friday, a Community Fest at Culture Park will include food, music, art, panels and HIV testing from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. And on Friday night, the Sneaker Ball will present awards to the LGBTQ community starting at 9 p.m. at the Carver Theater. Pynk Fest is a Pink Day Party from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at The Hookah Joynt, and there will be a ’90s and 2000s dance party at Oz starting at 9 p.m. And on Sunday, there will be an all white pool party at

Culture Park starting at 1 p.m. and a stand-up comedy show at Cafe Istanbul starting at 8 p.m. Find more information about the events at blackpridenola.com.

Nikole Hannah-Jones

JOURNALIST NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES’ 1619 PROJECT WAS A BLOCKBUSTER PROJECT OF REPORTING AND ESSAYS

that reframed American history — and current events — through the legacy of slavery. The original project was released in 2019, timed with the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved African people for the first time in colonial Virginia.

Last year, Hannah-Jones expanded the project into a book. She will be in New Orleans for an in-person talk about the 1619 book and project at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 30, at Baldwin & Co. Registration is free via baldwinandcobooks.com.

Happy 3rd of July

NEW ORLEANS CITY PARK HOSTS A CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE DAY on

Sunday, July 3. Robin Barnes kicks off the festivities by singing the Star

Spangled Banner at 7:15 p.m. The Marine Forces Reserve Band performs, and there are fireworks over the Peristyle at 9 p.m. Attendees are invited to bring chairs and blankets to the Great Lawn. Visit neworleanscitypark.com for details.

Frank Turner

AFTER GETTING HIS START WITH THE BRITISH POST-HARDCORE PUNK BAND MILLION DEAD, Frank Turner

launched a solo career as a folk singer-songwriter. His latest album “FTHC” was released early this year, and the tune “A Wave Across A Bay” topped the UK singles chart. He’s backed by The Sleeping Souls band. The Bronx and PET NEEDS also perform. At 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 29, at House of Blues. Tickets $32.50-$42.50 via houseofblues.com.

Punk Black Fest

THE ATLANTA-BASED COLLECTIVE PUNK BLACK ORGANIZES FESTIVALS AND SHOWS to give space for Black and

Brown punks. Punk Black Fest New Orleans will feature music by Pure Mutt, Little Death, Yumi So Cute, SDTF and Kawaii AF. Show starts at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 3, at Gasa Gasa.

Tickets are $10 at ticketweb.com.

Jamaican Me Breakfast Club

COOKED UP IN THE NEW ORLEANS MUSIC SCENE, JAMAICAN ME BREAKFAST CLUB

Light Up the Lake

takes hits of the 1970s and ’80s and reworks them as roots reggae tunes — a vibe it calls “pop rock steady.”

Catch the band at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 3, at Zony Mash Beer Project. It also performs at the Independence Day celebration in Crescent Park at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 4. Visit jamaicanmebreakfastclub.com for information.

THE NORTHSHORE INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION FEATURES ENTERTAINMENT ON THE MANDEVILLE LAKEFRONT

beginning at 5 p.m. and fireworks at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3.

There’s music by Groovy 7 and the Brasshearts. There’s also a kids tent, face painting, food trucks and more.

Visit experiencemandeville.org for information.

Oven mittts |

$15 each fro om Judy at the Rink nia St., 504-891(2727 Prytan 7018; judyatttherink.com).

VIDED BY PHOTO PROV E RINK JUDY AT THE

NewOrleans

DESIGN STYLE + HOME + J U NE 2 0 2 2

American PRIDE Rocket pop table accent |

$15.50 for 12 from Judy at the Rink.

$29.95 from Judy at the Rink.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDY AT THE RINK

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDY AT THE RINK

Watermelon placemats |

LOVE

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Peacock utensils

$14 each from Little Miss Muffin.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LITTLE MISS MUFFIN

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY

sign

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Pizza serving

Bergeron frames

$25 from The O.W. (3719 Magazine St., 504-547-1554; theoccasionalwife.com).

TOP SHOPPE TO PROVIDED BY HILLT

PHOTO PROVIDED BY

HOME MALONE

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rge Santorini bow wl |

from Hilltop Shoppe 4 Magazine St., 504-5333-9670; opshoppe.com).

Crystalline heart bowl | $95 from Judy at the Rink.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDY AT THE RINK

ccia egg tray |

inside

New Orleans

HOME + STYLE + DESIGN

4 T R I P E S P. STA R S & S

//

set |

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|

$54 each from Home Ave., 504-324-8352; Malone (629 N. Carrollton 4610 Magazine 6148; homemalonenola St., 504-766.com).

Goblet |

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOL A GIF TS & DECOR

& DECOR

$60 from Judy at the Rink (2727 Prytania St., 504-891-7018; judyattherink.com ).

American flag door hanger |

$54.99 from NOLA Gifts & Decor (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, 504-407-3532; shopnolagiftsanddecoronline.com).

|

Line’s New Orleans-themed gifts L a arish ound in shops across the city o

by THE PARISH LINE NY PETERSON | Photos provided N arted with four dish towels a

Cafe du Monde

| $49.99 from NOLA Gifts & Decor Esplanade Ave. (5101 W. #17, nolagiftsanddeco Metairie, 504-407-3532; ronline.com).

$22 from Judy at the Rink.

D BY PHOTO PROVIDED JUDY AT THE R I N K

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m $29.95 for 12 from k.

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Let freedom ring with red, white and blue decor Stars on blue placemat |

grown into a line off high-end New g hemed gifts sold att more than 100 th and around the cityy. a arish Line is a wholessale company ates, imports and sells original a to gift shops. It’s thee brainchild sse Landry, a native Neew Orleanian rmer retail sales repreesentative who d her business in 20122 when she was 660s. hen I was a sales rep, a dish towel that fleur de lis on it sold liike crazy, and her that had a lobster — it was pawned h s a crawfish — sold like crazy. It didn’t me long to realize thatt there was a need upscale local gifts,” Landry says. “There u nd spoon ree lots of shot glasses an othing more tts and keychains, but no sscale, and it just caught on.”

Two French Quarter gift rretailers, Rue T her oyal and Forever New Orlleans, were o items rrst customers and both sttill carry her ation. n the shelf in regular rota fixThe Parish Line productss also are now including tures in gift shops across the state, The at Fleurty Girl and Little Miss Muffin. a line ccompany will also be creatting a custom Bath specifically for national reetailer Bed

& Beyond. most popular items One of the company’s m oned in script are gumbo bowls emblazo along the rim with “Ca C’eest Bon!” stamped collecat the bottom of the bowll. And the plates, tion of bright turquoise reectangular asking, mugs and decorative kitcchen towels also “Where have you beignett all my life?” sells well. who Landry hires designerss on contract awings onto all sorts inscribe phrases and dra as grown to incorof gifts. The inventory ha tote porate streetcar-shaped trinket trays,

Founder of The Parish Line, Denise

Landry

PHOTO BY CHERI TURNER

hooks, bags, coffee mugs, oyster plates, wall and a roux spoon made in New Iberia. seaThe Parish Line also offers additional chips sonal products, including Mardi Gras and and dip bowls, crawfish boil towels Christmas platters. works.

“The business model I have in place from Business owners can order directly the a wholesale site, and they appreciate ability to do that any time of the day,”

Landry says.

Additionally, the Parish Line has expanded for into custom branding items and gifts and the McIlhenny Co., including umbrellas towels with signature Tabasco products.

The wholesale lizes business speciali ifts in home decor, gif th and souvenirs with ir. distinctly local flair

DON’T MISS THE JULY ISSUE

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ro om Little Miss Muffin (766 Harrison 4882-8200; 3307 Severn Ave., Metairie, Ave., S 555-1444; shoplit ttlemissmuffin.co m).

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Green bowl |

$54 from Hazelnut (5525 Magazine 504-891-2424; St., hazelnutneworle ans.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY

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HA ZELNUT

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Ad Director Sandy Stein 504.483.3150 or sstein@gambitweekly.com

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FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS A N D M O R E E V E N T S TA K I N G P L AC E IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA, VISIT C A L E N D A R . G A M B I T W E E K LY. C O M To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

TUESDAY 28 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Trio, 7 pm CARNAVAL LOUNGE — Wojtek Industries, 9 pm DOS JEFES — Tom Hook, Wendell Brunious, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Colin Myers Band, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Superbloom, 9 pm HARD ROCK CAFE NEW ORLEANS — Four Way Stop, 7 pm KITCHEN TABLE CAFÉ — Kitchen Table Cafe Trio, 7 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULE — Soul Rebels, 11 pm ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL & BAR — Trumpet Mafia, 7 pm SANTOS — A Wilhelm Scream, 8 pm ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — Rebirth Brass Band, 8 pm

WEDNESDAY 29 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Trio, 7 pm BLUE NILE — New Breed Brass Band, 9 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Colin Davis and Night People, 10:30 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Tin Men, 6 pm; Walter "Wolfman" Washington & the Roadmasters, 9 pm DOS JEFES — Joe Krown, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Bourbon Street All Star Trio, 7 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm HOUSE OF BLUES — Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls Never-Ending Tour Of Everywhere, 6 pm JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK VISITOR CENTER, NEW

ORLEANS JAZZ NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK — Ranger Sessions with Jon Beebe, 12 pm MADAME VIC'S — 7th Ward All Stars Jazz Band, 8 pm NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM — Steve Pistorius, 2 pm ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL & BAR — Swingin G's with John Saavedra, 7 pm; B.A.M. Jam with Gene Black, 10 pm SANTOS — DarkLounge Ministries, 7 pm; Russell Welch Swamp Moves Trio , 8 pm TIPITINA'S — Rakim, 9 pm

THURSDAY 30 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Quartet, 8 pm BLUE NILE — Where Y'at Brass Band, 9 pm BUFFA'S — Tom McDermott and Tim Laughlin, 7 & 9 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Sierra Green and the Soul Machine, 10 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Andrew McLean & Co., 7 pm; Egg Yolk Jubilee, 10 pm DOS JEFES — Mark Coleman Trio, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Doyle Cooper Trio, 2:30 pm; John Saavadra Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 9 pm GASA GASA — Tim Higgins, C.A. Jones, Kate Baxter, 9 pm KITCHEN TABLE CAFÉ — Dr. Mark St. Cyr Traditional Jazz Band, 7 pm MADAME VIC'S — Walter "Wolfman" Washington, 8 pm PAVILION OF THE TWO SISTERS — Rocky's Hot Swing Orchestra, 6 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Da Lovebirds with Robin Barnes and Pat Casey , 8 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — Ron & Tina's Acoustic Jam, 7 pm ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL & BAR — Kala Chandra Band, 7 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Dr. Michael White Quartet, 8 & 10 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm

FRIDAY 1 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Trio, 8 pm BLUE NILE — The Caesar Brothers, 7 pm; Brass Flavor, 10 pm; Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers, 11 pm BUFFA'S — Davis Rogan, 7 & 9 pm CARNAVAL LOUNGE — Anne Elise Hastings, Dreux Gerard, Dusty Santamaria, Justin Ready, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Sam Friend Band, 2:30 pm; Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 9 pm GASA GASA — Bruise Peets with Scenic World and Cashier, 9 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — Shitbirds, Green Mantles, Jak Locke Rock Show, 8:30 pm TIPITINA'S — Stooges Brass Band, Le Trainiump, 9 pm

SATURDAY 2 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Jordan Anderson, 8 pm BLUE NILE — Tonya BoydCannon, 11 pm BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM — The Marigny Street Brass Band, 10 pm BUFFA'S — Matt Perrine's Birthday Suit Party, 7 & 9 pm CARNAVAL LOUNGE — Sansho, Joelton Mayfield, Paris Ashenbach, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard "Piano" Scott, 12:30 pm; Joe Kennedy Band, 2:30 pm; Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band, 9 pm GASA GASA — Cheekface with Guppy, 9 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — Amanda Rose Band, 9 pm SOUTHPORT HALL LIVE MUSIC & PARTY HALL — Nashville South, 9 pm THE ALLWAYS LOUNGE & CABARET — The New Orleans High Society Hour, 5 pm THE BOMBAY CLUB — Anais St. John, 8 pm THE HIDEAWAY DEN & ARCADE — Pious with OX , 8 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Gladney, 7:30 pm

ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — People Museum, 8 pm

SUNDAY 3 BLUE NILE — The Baked Potatoes, 7 pm; Street Legends Brass Band, 10 pm BUFFA'S — Some Like It Hot, 11 am & 1 pm FAUBOURG BREWING CO. — Jonathan Long, Johnny Sansone Band, Washboard Chaz Trio & Ghalia Volt Band, 11 am FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Sam Friend Band, 12:30 pm; Joe Kennedy Band, 2:30 pm; Marla Dixon Band, 6 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Punk Black Fest with Pure Mutt, Little Death, Yumi So Cute, Sexy Dex and The French, Kawaii AF, 8 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Rachel Murray and Joe Bouchá , 11 am POUR HOUSE SALOON — Lance Villafarra, 4 pm SOUTHPORT HALL LIVE MUSIC & PARTY HALL — Superunknown: Tribute to Soundgarden w/ G Skin n Bones Foo Fighters Trib, 8 pm THE DRIFTER — Valerie Sassyfras Birthday Blowou, 7 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — James Rivers Movement, 7:30 pm ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — Jamaican Me Breakfast Club, 1 pm

MONDAY 4 BUFFA'S — Doyle Cooper Trio, 7 pm FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 5 pm; Richard “Piano” Scott, 5 pm SIDNEY’S SALOON — The Amazing Henrietta, 6 pm; DarkLounge Ministries, 8 pm

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MOUISNIGC O U T G

Essence Previews CHECK OUT THESE ENTERTAINERS AND EVENTS at this year’s ESSENCE

Fest. Find more at essence.com/ essence-festival-2022.

Lucky Daye

Saturday, July 2, Caesars Superdome

LUCKY DAYE HAS HAD A HELL OF A YEAR . The New Orleans-born singer

released his second full-length album, “Candy Drip,” in March and within weeks won the Grammy Award for best progressive R&B album for his 2021 EP, “Table for Two.” And amid it all, he had an extensive national headlining tour.

Daye has had a meteoric four years, starting with his EP “I” in 2018. He’s been nominated for five Grammys before his recent win, and his smooth, soulful work has received wide acclaim.

But this isn’t an overnight sensation. The 36-year-old appeared on “American Idol” in 2005 when he was 19 and reached the show’s top 20 stage. He then found success as a songwriter and backup singer, recording with Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, Keith Sweat and Ne-Yo. Once he decided to take a chance on his solo material, though, his star started to rise.

Daye grew up in New Orleans and moved away to pursue his music career. He now lives in Los Angeles, but he keeps his hometown close to his heart: During a post-Grammy win interview, Daye spoke deeply about the impact New Orleans has had not only on his music but on popular music broadly.

Janet Jackson

Saturday, July 2, Caesars Superdome

IN AFOUR-HOUR DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HER THATAIREDONLIFETIME AND A&E in

January and in a June interview in ESSENCE, Janet Jackson evidenced that she is a pop icon who garners plenty of attention while sharing the barest of glimpses into her private life.

Though Jackson has sold more than 100 million albums and hit the top of Billboard’s album charts in each of the last four decades, she didn’t have an easy start, and has negotiated a host of distractions to stay on top. One of her biggest early challenges was establishing her own sound and identity in the shadow of older brother Michael’s dominance of pop music and MTV in the ’80s — and later being dragged into his scandals.

She drew her own fans, with the coyly joyful invitation of songs like “Escapade” and the more provocative work of songs like “Nasty.” She hit the top of the dance club single charts roughly 20 times. And she dealt with her own minor scandals, notably the Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction,” for which she was penalized far more than co-performer Justin Timberlake.

She has always been tight-lipped about her private life — likely a response to her outsized fame, caution about prying interests regarding her family and her own setbacks.

In an opaque interview, she recently told ESSENCE magazine that she doesn’t think about whether any of her albums were underrecognized and that she keeps all her awards in storage.

But what ESSENCE and readers want to know is when she’ll release “Black Diamond,” an album she announced before the pandemic.

Her response? She’s still working on it — it’ll be done when it’s done — and that she’s been focusing on her 5-year-old son.

Jackson was an executive producer for her documentary, and had some control over what was included. The piece ended with a short clip of “Luv I Luv” running during the credits. The song is rumored to be on “Black Diamond.”

Jackson has been known to release albums after beginning tours for them. Will she sing material off the album at ESSENCE fest? She isn’t saying. But she’s got plenty of music fans will be happy to hear.

New Edition

Sunday, July 3, Caesars Superdome

THE LAST NIGHT OF ESSENCE IS GONNA BE A THROWBACK PARTY — and possi-

bly result in more than a few backs being thrown out amongst the Gen X revelers — when New Edition, the Isley Brothers, the Roots and members of the Wu Tang Clan close out the festival at the Superdome.

Founded by Bobby Brown in 1978, New Edition came to national prominence in the 1980s with a string of hits including “Candy Girl,” “Mr. Telephone Man,” “Cool it Now,” and “If It Isn’t Love.” The band successfully fused R&B and hip-hop sensibilities and culture into an infectious mix that became the sound of the ’80s for teenagers in cities across the country.

After cranking out a series of platinum records, the band collapsed in

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Crowds gather inside the Superdome during the performance of New Edition during ESSENCE Fest 2016.

a very public and very, very messy break with Brown, who would be replaced by singer Johnny Gill.

With Gill on board, and its members entering full-blown adulthood, the band’s sound shifted, producing classics including “Can You Stand the Rain.” New Edition redefined R&B and more broadly what it meant to be a “boy band” in American pop culture, spawning the likes of Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block, and the echoes of their influence can still be heard today in K-pop bands. In fact, even as solo artists/spin-off groups, New Edition’s members have remained enormously influential in music and American culture. Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe would form Bell Biv DeVoe and crank out a series of classics, including “Poison.”

Brown went on to have a successful career as an R&B singer while arguably laying the groundwork for today’s generation of pop culture icons living very public and unapologetically messy lives.

Essence Experiences and Speakers ALTHOUGH THE MUSIC MAY BE THE BIGGEST DRAW OF THE FESTIVAL, there’s tons

of other programming. Of course, comedian Kevin Hart will kick off the festival Thursday, June 30, but the festival will also have three full nights of comedy at the Joy theater.

Essence is also throwing a series of festivals-within-the-festival this year, covering virtually every aspect of life, from health and wellness panels, a movie festival and speakers from the business community, politics and the technology sector. The festival is also setting up special areas for food trucks and other food and beverage related events at the Sugar Mill and in the Mississippi River Heritage Park, including from chef Serigne Mbaye, a local chef who is also one of this year’s 40 Under 40 honorees.

As of press time, the schedule and lineup of speakers and panels was still in flux, and as with most

every other festival, there’s liable to be a few wrinkles at Essence. But the non-music part of the festival has become an increasingly more important part of the festivities, both for those being seen and attendees looking for help with various aspects of life and work.

With no presidential election on the immediate horizon, the festival’s roster of politicians won’t be dominated by those making the hard sell for primary and general election votes. Still, there will be a number of big names speaking at the festival, including the Rev. Al Sharpton and Louisiana’s own Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

The Essence Tech Summit will feature a number of speakers, ranging from esports collective FaZe Clan’s Matt “Bk” Augustin, molecular biologist and STEM educator Raven Baxter to computer science activist Ian Brock, who founded Dream Hustle Code at the age of 17 to promote computer and other STEM education.

Looking for tips on turning that kitchen table business you started during the pandemic into a fullfledged brick and mortar? Want to learn how to build your brand? The festival’s Wealth and Power programming has ya covered. Speakers this year include TV personality Alani Nicole “La La” Anthony, Dr. Jen Caudle, Wall Street professional turned rapper and financial literacy advocate Ross Mac, the New Voices Fund’s Darryl Thompson, Buy From a Black Woman founder Nikki Porcher and New Orleans’ own Sheba Turk, the morning news anchor at WWL, among many others.

Similarly, the festival’s Health Hub this year will feature two dozen medical professionals. Panels at the hub this year run the gamut of physical and mental health issues, including advice on navigating toxic relationships and dealing with intimate partner violence, the ins and outs of CBD, and steps people can take to prevent diabetes and heart disease.

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE INITIAL CONDITIONS

By Frank A. Longo

39 Nonsense song syllable 40 American bird with all-white plumage 42 “So there!”

44 Feels unwell 48 Lawyers: Abbr.

49 Dental floss coating 50 Difficult matter to deal with 54 Saw or sickle 55 Implore 56 Olympic skater Midori 57 Enumerating 58 Oman locale 60 One trapping 62 Shrink back 63 They may have jingles 66 Passionate love affair

69 Hairstyling goop 70 “C’mon, help me out” 72 “Finally finished!”

73 St. Louis’ — Bridge 75 Artifacts of Angola, e.g.

77 Ares or Eros 78 Greyhound vehicle 79 Misfortunes 83 The U.S. State Department, informally 85 Sultry 86 Pilfer 87 Casual tops 88 Fancy playing marble 89 Even break 91 “... — do say so myself” 93 “In all probability ...”

96 Warned 97 Bird that flies near the ocean’s surface 102 Utter failure 103 Military base 104 “The best is — come” 106 Ancient rival of Athens 111 Became inseparable 112 Apt question for this puzzle 115 Northern Spanish city 116 Actress de Ravin of “Roswell” and “Lost” 117 Pain greatly 118 Person ripping things 119 Key in anew 120 Dwellers around Peru’s peaks DOWN 1 Per unit 2 Rescue 3 Spurt out 4 Circular tent 5 Speeding cars’ ovals 6 Boiling mad 7 Equine beast 8 Celestial bear 9 Gears up 10 Farewells 11 Zero 12 Yuletide mo.

13 “Harold and Maude” director Hal 14 When it’s 1600 hours 15 “Blaze” actress Davidovich 16 “Scenes From —” (Bette Midler film) 17 “And Bingo was his —” 18 New Mexico county 19 From Oslo’s country, to its natives 24 Toll rd.

29 “Number 10” painter Mark 31 Stockings, say 33 Classic soda 34 Jr.-year exam 35 Savvy about 36 — -Rooter 37 Tharp of choreography 38 Dinosaur in “Toy Story”

41 Dusting cloth 43 Capital of Ghana 44 Fizzy wine, in brief 45 Walt Whitman’s “— the Body Electric” 46 Fencer’s attack 47 Jason of “Bad Teacher” 50 Celebrity status 51 Doughnut or bagel’s shape 52 New Mexican succulents 53 Common way to mark losses 55 Place to dissect a frog 56 Blue shade 59 Actor Keach of “Mike Hammer” 60 Caesar of old comedy 61 CPR pro 63 Toward a ship’s stern 64 Crusoe creator Daniel 65 Platoon VIP 67 Rodeo lasso 68 Idling position 71 Oinkers 74 Indian lute 76 Gratuity-prohibiting policy 78 Young guy, in hip-hop 80 Pre-Easter time

81 Shoe securer 82 Yukon vehicle 84 Tease in fun 85 Head cover 86 Mark of TV’s “Supernatural” 89 Certain penpoint feature 90 Seal, as a housebuying deal 91 Hinder 92 Novelist Dostoyevsky 94 Deadpan humor 95 “The Office” character Pam 97 Wood shoe 98 Treasure pile 99 “— vincit amor” 100 Winona of “Black Swan” 101 Once-popular anesthetic 102 Rival 105 You, of yore 107 “Stop staring —!”

108 Ostrich kin 109 Ky. neighbor 110 Part of B.A. 113 Kipling’s “Follow Me —” 114 Org. founded by Billie Jean King

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Nineveh’s empire 8 Its capital is Kampala 14 12-step affiliate group 20 New Guinea natives 21 Renovates 22 Ketchup ingredient 23 It’s used for outlining designs in embroidery 25 Internet newsgroup troublemaker 26 Alloy that’s mostly tin 27 1990s Toyota model 28 Grills in stoves 30 Take a stroll 32 Cheerful disposition 34 Carrying of a boat 38 View anew

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