Feminist Forum, April 2022 by Loyola University New Orleans

FEMINIST MANIFESTO WHO WE ARE

OUR GOALS

We are an intersectional collective of engaged feminists at Loyola University New Orleans that welcomes all people of different races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, nationalities, gender identifications, sexual orientations, ages, and classes. Our manifesto is a result of a persistent revolution. We build upon the work of those who came before us to push the historical struggle forward through our active engagement in the wider feminist discourse and the sociopolitical climate of New Orleans.

We believe in, promote, and work towards equality for all genders. We accept, educate, empower, and learn from one another, as well as advance towards a community that embraces and practices gender equality. We work to push the historical fight of feminism forward by using active engagement at Loyola, and in New Orleans, that builds from the work of previous generations in order to better ourselves and future generations. We will combat gender discrimination by expanding the feminist consciousness and our knowledge through discussion and debate. We seek to engage with all communities by creating a welcoming space for everyone.

Loyola University New Orleans has fully supported and fostered in its educational programs, admissions, employment practices, and in the activities it operates the policy of not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex/gender, or sexual orientation. This policy is in compliance with all applicable federal regulations and guidelines.

We challenge ourselves and others to engage in advocacy and activism to facilitate individual and institutional changes in our society.

Women’s Resource Center

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AUTHORIZATION

MISSION

Feminist Forum is an unofficial publication of the Women's Resource Center. Views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Women's Resource Center or Loyola University New Orleans

In the path of the Ignatius mission at Loyola University New Orleans, we, as an intersectional feminist community, seek to educate ourselves through critical analysis; we endeavor to empower the oppressed through devotion to diversity and uplift; and we pursue equality through social justice.

HOW WE ENACT OUR MISSION We enact our mission through collaborative relationships with student organizations, departments, and centers within the Loyola community in order to develop an array of intersectional feminist programs, events, and literature. We immerse ourselves in the New Orleans community by participating in service, sharing scholarship, and |engaging in feminist activism. We discuss various topics at Feminist Fridays, we publish the Feminist Forum to open a greater dialogue, and we host our annual Feminist Festival to bring together feminists from various backgrounds to advance gender

equality through forums, workshops, networking opportunities, artistic presentations, performances, and celebrations. At the Women’s Resource Center we are modern feminists. We are distinct. We are of all ages. We are liberal, radical, cultural and eco feminists. We are an array of colors, creeds, classes, cultures, orientations, and gender identities. And we come together in our common mission to find the path to gender equality.

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

Director’s Desk: When Women Go Marching On by Patricia Boyett

THE HEALTHCARE WARRIORS

16 20 24

Aimee Cardinal: Mom Away from Home by Gabrielle Tanet Kiera Mutepfa: A Courageous Advocate in Times of Uncertainty by Veronica Weisensee Nola4Women: Fighting for Mothers in a Time of Pandemic & Isolation by Sarah Aughinbaugh

Who Wants to Be a Nurse These Days? How Ashley Hontiveros Because a Healthcare Warriors by Eryn Loria & Veronica Weisensee

THE ESSENTIAL WOMEN

The Essential Women: Undervalued, Underpaid, & Unexpendable by Veronica Weisensee

THE EDUCATORS

42 46

Sheryl Kennedy Haydel: On Being Intentional & Transforming Destinies by Kennedy Garrett Tonia Loria: On COVID, Zoom, and Spiders by Gabrielle Tanet

THE RESTAURATEURS

Commanding Ladies of Nola: Tally Brennan and Ti Martin by: Morgan Love and Jai Shy

THE LEADERS

Once There Was a Woman: Her Name is Wendy Randall by Veronica Weisensee

64 68

Femi Adegoke: A Leading Lady of Loyola by Kennedy Garrett Nia Weeks: A Leading Lady of Louisiana by Morgan Love & Gabrielle Tanet

THE LIBERATORS

76 80 84 92 98

Stephanie Marcellé: Singer and Survivor Illuminating a Path of Hope & Healing by Chloe Evans Taking a Stand Against Domestic Violence Campaign by Victoria Blondell, Eryn Loria, & Carmen LeJeune Young Love vs. Emotional Abuse: An Essay by Eleanor Rigol Another Epidemic: Intimate Partner Violence and Pregnancy Postpartum by Jesse Leboeuf Playing with Fire: A Short Story by Shamaria Bell

THE GUARDIANS OF NOLA’S SPIRIT: LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULEZ

106

Every Business Needs a Muse: Operation Shoe Fairy to the Rescue by Adelaide La Torre

116

A Year Without a Parade: How Megan Boudreaux and the Krewe of House Floats Saved Mardi Gras! by Adelaide La Torre

ODE TO WOMEN

124

The Women: An Essay by Morgan Love

CREDITS Creative Director: Mikayla Ferro Editor-in-Chief: Patricia Boyett and Clarise Quintero Senior Editor: Chloe Evans Artists & Graphic Designers: Mikayla Ferro, Raeann Koehler, Monica Vega Rosado, and Kennedy Dickerson Photographer: Ashlyn Bobb Collins Cover: Illustration by Raeann Koehler; graphics by Mikayla Ferro Many of the interviews were conducted by the “At The Intersection” talk show anchors and reporters, including Victoria Blondell, Eryn Loria, Tyler Sanchez, Jai Shy, and Carrie Elizabeth Smith

THE HEALTHCARE

E WARRIORS

director’s desk:

WHEN WOMEN GO MARCHING ON

Patricia Boyeett, Tyler Sanchez, Delaney Harper, Mikayla Ferro, and Carrie Smith

by Patricia Boyett

New Orleans, it seems, has more parades than any city on earth, for it is deeply embedded into the soul of New Orleanians to revel in the good times and to march on through the tragic seasons. Its people are accustomed to marching and dancing in Second Lines for funerals, for weddings, for inaugurations, for sports contests, for protests. So too, New Orleanians love costuming for Mardi Gras, Halloween, and well just about any celebration one might imagine. A New Orleanian will search for just about any reason to celebrate, even in the darkest days, for a New Orleanian knows the power of joy and community to rejuvenate the soul. This joie de vivre is precisely why so many of us who have moved to this magical city stay here. New Orleans, as we often say, has a way of getting into a newcomer’s blood. Its celebratory spirit rushes through the native New Orleanian and the newcomers’ veins and takes hold of our souls. I imagine that’s one reason why native New Orleanians and those of us who have moved here, never leave, despite the devastating hurricanes and despite a pandemic that ravaged this city in brutal ways. Resilience, you see, also rushes like a river in the blood of a New Orleanian; it digs into our bones and strengthens our re-

solve to rise up and march on. I have also found that women are so often at the heart of that resilient, innovative, joyful, and determined spirit to transform tribulations into triumphs. In this issue, we celebrate the women of New Orleans who found a way to go marching on through the worst pandemic in modern history and so too through a couple of hurricanes. I also celebrate the phenomenal students at the WRC who persisted through each crisis and rose up again and again after each challenge to keep our feminist world vibrantly alive. I remember so vividly those early days of March of 2020 when COVID-19 circled New Orleans and strangled the soul of the Big Easy. The tentacles of the virus struck thousands and sent overflows of patients gasping for breath into the hospitals. It stretched across every street with its wrath and shut down our beloved city. Loyola University New Orleans moved into a virtual space for its classes and centers. To close the doors to the Women’s Resource Center on March 11 that year broke my heart. Yet with hope and determination, my students and I, just like our peers across Loyola, worked to keep our mission thriving in a virtual space. As the campus opened for classes in the fall 2020, it still proved too dangerous to open the center. We

persevered in our virtual world, hosting programs on zoom, pursuing projects, publishing our magazine, releasing segments of our talk show, and keeping our spirits filled with hope. Then Hurricane Zeta rushed through our city and knocked out power for a week in late October. But once again, I marveled at the strength of the souls of this city to rise and put our town back together. The WRC student staff treated the hurricane like a minor interruption and resumed work with great enthusiasm as soon as the lights returned. This past fall, on August 18, 2021, we reopened the doors to the center, only to have to shut them again when Hurricane Ida tore through our city on August 29. Within a few weeks, we were back at work again at the center only to have shut down in January 2022 when the Omicron variant raged across New Orleans. Still, after a virtual start, we were able to return to our on-campus classes in February. And the center has reopened. Our feminist world persists. All of us, like everyone across the globe, endured a grave threat to our existence and struggled against the trauma of interrupted lives. For me, and I think, for many WRC student staff members, the center in the virtual world and in the physical one, served as a place where we could try to find meaning in the darkest days of the pandemic and in

the aftermath of hurricanes, where we could transform sorrow into hope, and where we could find ways to not only overcome challenges, but to use them to drive us in our mission of uplifting and liberating women. To that end, the WRC took on many projects. In the fall 2021, the center had an exceptional opportunity to engage in a powerful and meaningful project initiated by Professor Rae Taylor and facilitated by Director of Community Engagement Typhanie Jasper-Butler to incorporate into the center thirty students from Professor Taylor’s “Domestic Violence” course. The students, working as service learners, collaborated with the WRC teams to develop the Standing Against Domestic Violence project. Some of the service-learners joined our magazine team to write about this endemic in this issue of The Feminist Forum. Others joined us in planning programs, including a panel and a Feminist Fridays dialogue. Many of the service-learners also joined us in advocacy campaigns, calling on Congress to renew the Violence Against Women Act. The work of the service-learners and the WRC student staff was phenomenal. I am in great debt to them as well as to Professor Taylor, a tireless advocate for survivors, and Typhanie Jasper Butler, an exceptional director, who made this

project possible. In much of our work over the last year, we found that hope by highlighting women in our programs, magazine, and talk show, who worked on the frontlines of the pandemic in a variety of industries and to those who volunteered their services. During the spring semester of 2021, the WRC collaborated with Kathy Seligman, one of the founders of Nola4Women, to interview many phenomenal and innovative women in the city for our talk show. In the fall, we edited these interviews, and our writing team developed features from them. It is with great joy to bring you their stories in this issue, and we invite you to view the interviews on our IGTV talk show “AT The Intersection” as well. In these early months of 2022, as more light returns to our feminist world, I am deeply grateful to Loyola students, faculty, and staff, and to the essential women of New Orleans who kept the candle burning in our darkest hours and who gave us the hope and the faith to march ever onward toward a better world. Yet we know too that darkness has fallen across so much of the world. Our hearts go out to all those who suffer and struggle to survive in war ravaged landscapes, and we continue to think of how we might contribute to efforts to ease suffering and make the

world a more just and free place. In all of our work, we always seek to find the light by celebrating amazing women who march on in challenging times to foster hope and joy. In the following pages, we honor the healers–the healthcare workers, philanthropists, and advocates who save lives. We honor the essential workers in childcare and in grocery stores and factories, who if they all quit tomorrow, would bring our society to a grinding halt. We honor educators who worked in virtual and frontline settings to ensure that education continued. We honor the innovators who kept their businesses afloat by developing innovative ways to thrive, to break isolation, and to build bridges of community across virtual spaces. We honor student and community leaders who kept their focus on the many important struggles that persist despite a pandemic. We honor a leader, who through her life’s example and her memoir, teaches us so much about rising out of abject poverty, confronting racism, and seeking to uplift others out of dire circumstances. We honor the liberators - the women who have liberated themselves and others from oppressive and abusive relationships; and we honor women who have survived sexual assault and who seek to liberate themselves and others from the trauma through meaningful ways of healing.

And as we are a city of not just resilience and survival, but a city of hope and joy that embraces life through celebration, we honor women who created innovative mediums to bring us our beloved festivities. Through splendid imagination and determination, they brought back the magic of this communal and celebratory city in a way that kept us safe and that brought economic relief and services to businesses and to people suffering from the pandemic. They uplifted and restored our spirits and delivered the joie de vivre we crave in New Orleans. We close with a short story that honors a mother who teaches her daughter how to love and be proud of being a woman. I am in awe of all these women as they teach us that we must persevere and that we must be grateful for the gift of life and try to work our way back to joy, even as we face challenges and even as we toil to stand in solidarity with those who struggle for liberty. Thus, I close this director’s desk by expressing my gratitude to all these amazing women who march on in the spirit of Nola. They remind us all that it is in our bones to blaze light into the dark and to embrace our joie de vivre. After all, the city’s word is resilience, but the city’s motto is: Laissez les bon temps roulez!

WRC Staff (Next)

AMIE CARDINAL: A MOM AWAY FROM HOME by Gabrielle Tanet

Amie Cardinal

“For a lot of our students, especially the ones that live on campus that don’t have their families here, we knew we needed to step in and be their family, be their caretaker.” Amie Cardinal spent the first eleven years of her nursing career taking care of children of all ages, from premature babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to teenagers in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at West Jefferson Medical Center. While she loved taking care of children, her job did not allow her to spend as much time as she would have liked with her own kids. Cardinel’s search for a new job led her here, to Loyola University New Orleans’ Student Health Center, where she has been for the last decade. When she first began her career at Loyola, she was worried that it would not be a good fit, but she came to love her new job as the Clinical Operations Coordinator in Student Health. Working at Loyola allowed Cardinal to take on new administrative duties like ordering medical supplies, maintaining the clinic’s computer system, and keeping track of medical records and payroll. She also discovered her passion for teaching and was given opportunities to educate the Loyola

community on a large scale. Cardinal has given talks on women’s health to student organizations, and she also organized a talk with a neurologist from the Ochsner Health System to educate student-athletes about the dangers and prevention of concussions. But Cardinal didn’t have to leave behind all the nursing duties she loved from her job at the hospital; she still draws blood, gives shots, and guides patients in a one-on-one setting, which is her favorite. When the COVID-19 pandemic led to quarantine to protect the Loyola community, Cardinal and her team were tasked with protecting the health of 4,000 students at Loyola. On March 11, Loyola moved to virtual operations and began the process of helping students move out of their dorms. Eventually, “all of the students left - we [in Student Health] never left, we never stopped working. Even though the students weren't here, we stayed in the clinic and we worked.” At the very beginning of the pandemic, no one knew what the coronavirus was or how best to protect oneself from it, and the Loyola community looked to Student Health for guidance. But there were no definitive answers to be found– anywhere. Between the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Louisiana Department of Health, and Ochsner Medical Center (Cardinal’s

points of contract for COVID guidance), there was an overload of information, and all the advice conflicted with one another. What was a successful policy one day would be obsolete the next, and this cycle persisted as scientists struggled to figure out the pandemic. When Loyola reopened in the fall, Student Health had to reconfigure their waiting rooms to abide by social distancing guidelines and revamp policies that they previously used every day. And although her time on the clock was extremely stressful, Cardinal couldn’t stop when she got home. New information was coming out every day, so Cardinal and her team couldn't keep up mentally and physically. Everyone was reading, researching, brainstorming, and reshaping ideas throughout their evenings. Student Health would even call students who tested positive for COVID-19 every day, including weekends, to make sure that they were alright. “There was just not enough time in a day to get it done,” said Cardinal. Despite all the difficulties, what keeps Cardinal coming back to her job at Loyola is her passion for education and helping students. The opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with students is her favorite part of the job. No matter how big or small the issue, no matter how private or seem-

ingly embarrassing, Cardinal is always open-minded, nonjudgmental, and ready to help. From her long career as a nurse, there is no situation left in the world that can shock her. For many of Loyola’s students, who are away from homes for the first time, Cardinal serves as a stand-in parent offering comfort and the best advice around. One of Cardinal’s driving factors in her work during the peak pandemic days was her concern for out-of-state students. She recalls, “For a lot of our students, especially the ones [who] live on campus [who] don’t have their families here, we [in Student Health] knew we needed to step in and be their family, be their caretaker.” Not only does Cardinal love Loyola’s students, but she is also so proud of their resilience throughout the pandemic. She believes that Loyola handled the pandemic as best as it could and was particularly proactive in safety measures. According to Cardinal, the COVID outbreaks on Loyola’s campus were on a relatively small scale, mostly contained to social groups, and this can be attributed to the community's diligence towards the university’s COVID policies. Cardinal contends that she continues to work to convince more people to get vaccinated and to mask as much as possible. Cardinal says that she researched the vaccine extensively

before receiving it, and she supports it wholeheartedly. She enthusiastically recommends the vaccine and would love to speak to any students who may still be unsure about getting it. Student Health Services is located in the basement of the Dana Center. All Loyola students are eligible to receive care from Student Health so call (504) 865-865-3326 or use SSO to log into your Medicat Public Health Portal to schedule an appointment. If you are experiencing any sort of medical problem, don’t hesitate to visit Cardinal, and all of her amazing co-workers, in Student Health!

KIETA MUTEPFA: A Courageous Advocate In Times of Uncertainty by Gabrielle Tanet

Kieta Mutepfa

“I am a social worker at heart, and non-profit is in my soul.” Kieta Mutepfa is a gift to the city of New Orleans. Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, as well as Los Angeles, she has offered a supportive hand to numerous people on an international scale since her teenage years. As a high school student, she volunteered with the United Negro College Fund and multiple reproductive health facilities. During her college years, she acted as a co-facilitator in a Washington D.C. superior court in classes for abusive perpetrators while also volunteering at an in-take office for a domestic violence center. These experiences inspired Mutepfa to co-found the United Women’s Foundation of The South. Mutepfa’s interest in supporting those afflicted with HIV began almost 30 years ago, when she volunteered at an AIDS hospice in the 1990s. This hospice was created in order to house Black Americans dying of AIDS. She described this period of her life as a time when her peers were running away from people with this disease as a consequence of misinformation. Throughout the years, she has remained deeply

invested in her work as an advocate for people struggling with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). For example, she took part in the international AIDS vaccine initiative, which incentivised her later travels to Kenya, Rwanda, and Mozambique. Currently, she is serving as a liaison between community members and MERCK, a bio-pharmaceutical company that focuses on treating animal-borne diseases, cancer, ebola, as well as HIV. MERCK has been working on behalf of HIV positive patients for 35 years, formulating preventative and control-based medications. MERCK’s most recent studies have involved creating increasingly effective treatments, while also attempting to assist immunocompromised individuals undergoing cancer treatments. As a community liaison, Mutepfa is a bridge between MERCK and its patients, “I am entrusted by individuals living with and affected by HIV to communicate their deepest needs and concerns…. They are entrusting me to be their voice,” she said, “I am a social worker at heart, and non-profit is in my soul.” Working in corporate with a nonprofit heart has been an adjustment because it constantly reminds her that

policy matters and must be followed. Nevertheless, she has continued to put the people first. Describing actions of service as core to her existence, Mutepfa is extremely gratified with her work. Part of her job is to provide empathy for her patients by “bearing witness to people’s strengths, vulnerabilities, the things that bring them joy-make them happy, as well as the things that break their hearts,” and caring for their souls. When the pandemic hit, she volunteered with a local organization that was delivering food to those in need. Her daughter joined her, having first been introduced to volunteerism through New Orlean’s edible schoolyard. Mutepfa was aware of the risk she was taking by going out in public when the vaccine had not yet been developed; however, she also knew that local communities would suffer immensely if they were not provided with basic necessities. Mutepfa and her daughter spent 2 to 3 days out of each week providing food to NOLA residents; including birthday cakes and Easter dinners. A major motivation for this contribution lay in her desire to alleviate fear and trauma that prevailed during that time. One day, while making a delivery, a man asked her, “Why are you doing this?” She replied, “Because no one else will.” Such words echo her ear-

ly work with AIDS patients, revealing the effect those experiences have had on her later social endeavors. She finds many ties between this pandemic and the AIDS epidemic, namely in terms of the populations that do or do not receive help. When speaking of the hardest aspects of her work, Mutepfa responded, “accepting and understanding intent. I have been in spaces where some people have volunteered because they want to, ‘help.’ I don’t come into communities assuming they don’t have what they need, but that they may need a little support in accessing what that is and how to make their coping mechanisms, intuitiveness, and brilliance shine through in other ways.” She added: “sometimes they need a little access in order to shake things up.” After pondering the aspect of her work that is most rewarding, Mutepfa replied, “when I get to the point where you can tell trust exists. A deep-seated level of trust and willingness.” This was perfectly exemplified when she described a particular woman to whom she delivered food. At first the woman did not trust her. As weeks passed, Mutepfa was allowed closer and closer to her door, until eventually she could hand baskets to this person. Upon delivering a surprise calla lily on Easter, the woman broke down, having

initially resigned herself to giving up this tradition as a consequence of the pandemic. She plans on checking up on those folks she delivered food to during the height of the pandemic, even though this food service is no longer operating. During times of hardship it is extremely heartening and inspiring to discover selfless people like Kieta Mutepfa. She works tirelessly and garners true joy from her experiences. After the murder of George Floyd, Mutepfa provided her community with safe spaces in which they could process their feelings of grief and anger. When asked where her passion for such acts arose, she spoke of her mom. Having witnessed her mother’s work as caregiver for elderly citizens, while recovering from addiction herself, she saw true power in acts of kindness, “Being vulnerable or in a vulnerable state doesn’t make you any less human. Sometimes it only takes a little bit of kindness to get where you want to be. If I can be the one to extend that kindness, then I’ve done my part.”

NOLA4WOMEN: Fighting for Mothers in a Time of Pandemic & Isolation by Sarah Aughinbaugh and Patricia Boyett

Kathy Seligman

“Fostering bold solutions for the marginalized women and children in our communities, Nola4women is an advocate for the safety and security for all women and girls.” Kathy Epstein Seligman, Florence André, Sylvia Frey, and Martha Sullivan founded Nola4Women on International Women’s Day 2016 with the mission of developing “consensus-based solutions” to address the challenges marginalized women and children face in New Orleans, including gender and racial disparities in education, healthcare, and the workforce. In addition, Nola4Women has sought to address the trauma and security crises that affect girls and women. During the pandemic, the leaders and partners of Nola4Women have become healthcare warriors fighting for pregnant women and mothers who struggled to survive, give birth, and raise their newborns in the middle of a pandemic. The current president of Nola4Women Kathy Seligman sat down with the Women’s Resource Center’s “At The Intersection” talk show to discuss this important work. Although Seligman spends half of her year in the

United Kingdom, she stays true to her Crescent City roots as a determined advocate for New Orleanian women. As a graduate of Newcomb College Institute, Tulane University, Seligman has continued the historical legacy of the institution through philanthropic ventures for women. Nola4Women is at the heart of her current work. In 2018, Nola4Women partnered with the Greater New Orleans Foundation to host a three-part series “Hear Our Voices: Making Change for Women and Girls” conferences designed to address “their need for equal access to health, education and personal and economic security.” The conferences included panels of experts and community forums that produced significant dialogues regarding the development of programs and policies that could resolve these inequities. The conferences culminated in a Summit on Women and Girls at the end of 2018 that produced “proposals for change around three clusters of issues . . . improving access to healthcare, accelerating opportunity, and addressing trauma and increasing security.” To those ends, Nola4Women established specific goals and strategies that included providing

a holistic-community based education, addressing gender and racial wage disparities, seeking to create and improve paid maternal leave policies, and diminishing and eventually eliminating gender and racial healthcare disparities. Due to Seligman’s commitment to these important causes, the Loyola University Resource Center awarded her its Outstanding Feminist Community Partner in 2021. Seligman’s organization has provided the New Orleans community with a phenomenal network of resources and information. In the past couple of years, Nola4Women has focused much of its energies on healthcare, particularly the healthcare of women of color because of the significant discrimination and suffering they have confronted. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified these disparities and has hit pregnant women particularly hard. Seligman argues that for individuals to succeed, they must have security in their “health, occupation, and safety.” Seligman points out that women have limited support systems during pregnancy and postpartum, which is such a vulnerable time in a woman’s life. Worsening matters, women have experienced intense isolation during the pandemic, which places them at an increased risk for postpartum depression. Seligman is greatly concerned about the experiences of women during this “very lonely time” of new motherhood. Several experts have engaged in

studies of the struggles of pregnant women during the pandemic, which have provided Nola4Women with some important data to consider in their advocacy work and programs. For example, Karestan Koenan of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health collaborated with several colleagues on a global survey of pregnant women during the pandemic as they theorized that the pandemic may have put pregnant women at a higher risk of severe mental health struggles. In “Pregnancy During a Pandemic?” Psychology Today, July 22, 2020, Koenan revealed that the study found “over 70% of women report clinically significant depression or anxiety, and over 40% screen positive for post-traumatic stress disorder.” Nola4Women saw a need for more studies and for the development of policies and programs to address this crisis in Louisiana. In addition, Nola4Women is deeply concerned about the statistic that African American women are five times more likely to die from pregnancy related complications than white women in Louisiana. To address the crisis of maternal healthcare, Nola4Women has collaborated with the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES), the Louisiana Department of Health, Ochsner Health, and Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine to design and execute a statewide pregnancy registry to “generate real-world evidence

on clinical and social risks to pregnant women as well as disparities in pregnancy care and outcomes.” Nola4Women and its partners have begun to use this data to advocate for policies and programs for the maternal health of all women and to eliminate the racial gaps in healthcare services and interventions. Nola4Women has already initiated the Greater Nola4Women Fund through the Greater New Orleans Foundation and also received substantial funding via the WK Kellogg Foundation. With these funds, Nola4Women was able to launch the Women Maternal and Child Health Initiative with the mission of directing investments from the philanthropic community to programs, policies, and health initiatives to improve the health of women and children in greater New Orleans. In addition to the registry and the initiative, Nola4Women has partnered with Ashé Cultural Arts Center to create an “artistic anecdote” through BirthRite. BirthRite, Seligman emphasizes, is “an effort to capture the voices of some of the most vulnerable members of our own community, voices that are often omitted during the best of times.” Through this project, Seligman hopes women share their stories of pregnancy and new motherhood through artistic expression and present how each woman was impacted by the “convergence of public health, social unrest, and economic instability.”In an uncertain period in Louisiana health-

care, Nola4Women and its partners brought attention to a vulnerable population of women–marginalized mothers–and sought to address the crisis. During their valiant efforts, Nola4Women suffered a deep loss. Sylvia Frey, one of Nola4Women’s founders, passed away in June 2021. In a tribute to her on the Nola4Women website, Seligman, André, and Sullivan, celebrate Frey as a “much loved sister and aunt, inspirational teacher, distinguished historian and beloved friend [whose] wise counsel, clear thinking and stubborn determination shaped Nola4Women in ways we never dreamed possible.” Frey was a great partner and friend to the Women’s Resource Center. She will be deeply missed. The WRC honors Frey and all the founders of Nola4Women in this issue. They are truly women who always went marching on through great challenges, and the surviving founders march on now with heavier hearts. Yet may they know that Frey’s spirit marches on through the incredible initiatives she developed and that all of her sister founders seek to bring to fruition as they toil with their community to advance and uplift women in the world. *Unless otherwise noted, the information for this article was drawn from Nola4Women’s website.

WHO WANTS TO BE A NURSE THESE DAYS? How Ashley Hontiveros Because a Healthcare Warrior

Ashley Hontiveros

by: Eryn Loria & Veronica Weisensee

Ashley Hontiveros is a pediatric nurse and recent graduate from Southeastern University. Upon obtaining her degree in December 2020, Hontiveros began practicing at Ochsner Hospital in Jefferson Parish, commencing an already time-consuming and taxing career during a global pandemic. However, these challenges have only cemented Hontiveros’ passion for her work, and she has been an empathetic and capable caregiver in truly trying conditions. Hontiveros exemplifies the post-pandemic image of altruism and bravery that essential workers are being recognized for, albeit belatedly. Hontiveros does not believe career paths should be dictated by paychecks, preferring to stake the value of her work on the impact it has on those around her, “I wanted to do something that would fulfill me for the rest of my life. I wanted a job where I could use my brain and my body in order to help other people.” Living life through selfless action is Hontiveros’ objective. She also spoke of her sense of empathy for patient’s families during hospitalized stays, “I know how hard it is when your family member is in the hospital, and I

wanted to care for others as if they were my own family.” She addresses the recent deaths of two close family members, revealing a core of true understanding in regards to the experiences of patient’s loved ones. The pandemic has presented many challenges for nurses and doctors alike, but Hontiveros has managed to face these difficult times by consuming copious amounts of caffeine, and of course utilizing her personal resources. “Nursing school is very competitive,” she said, “People are always comparing you, but I had some great friends who motivated me.” Regarding her decision to work with children, she said, “I love the operating room, but I wanted more floor experience. During the pandemic a lot of nurses were deployed to the floor, and I figured I would start there first in order to help my community. Of course, I love children as well. The hospital is not a fun place, but if I can make it a little less stressful-a little more comfortable, then that’s rewarding for me.” The most satisfying part of Hontiveros’ job is when she knows patients feel provided for, “Whenever a patient

says thank you or appreciates my effort, I will go home at the end of the day so happy I did this.” Such experiences sustained her spirit through the hardest parts of nursing school. She found it particularly challenging to complete her labor rotation online. For example, her exam on assisting women through childbirth involved using a cat tunnel to push stuffed animals though in order to simulate childbirth. Hontiveros couldn’t help but laugh when recalling this incident. Hontiveros always has to be extremely conscious of her own safety as well as her patients regardless of the presence of a pandemic, but such circumstances have created a climate of increased watchfulness on her part. She explains, “ You have to think of yourself and the people you go home to…. It’s kind of scary sometimes.” Despite becoming increasingly cognizant of the dangers she must face, Hontiveros said, “I knew that I would have to sacrifice for other people; and being a nurse, instructors tell you to be flexible regardless of what is thrown at you.” She has great empathy for the children who have suffered through the pandemic, and she has been deeply impacted by her patient’s isolation. She elaborates, “It’s hard for kids when they can’t have their parents with them…. Part of the healing process is having family around you. The hospital is an unfamiliar environment. People are poking you and bothering you all the time; and you can’t even have your family there. Your nurse is the only person who can interact with you.” Hontiveros speaks of

this topic with great feeling, revealing the impact her patient’s pain has had on her in turn. She describes struggling to time manage her tasks as a nurse while also endeavoring to provide emotional support for multiple people each day. While she toiled to help others who suffered, Hontiveros also experienced great personal losses. Her father and grandfather passed away. And yet, she persisted in her work. Upon reflection, she said her own sorrow and mourning only deepened her motivation to help others.“Despite the adversity, and losing my dad and my grandpa, I am so glad that I used everything that happened as a reason to keep going.” Hontiveros’s commitment to her work, her dedication to her patients, and her deep empathy for the children and parents who have suffered as she too suffered make her a powerful healthcare warrior. She will undoubtedly continue to act as a source of solace and strength for Ochsner Hospital’s patients for many years to come.

THE ESSENTIAL W

WOMEN

ESSENTIAL WOMEN: UNDERVALUED, UNDERPAID, & UNEXPENDABLE by: Veronica Weisensee

In New Orleans, women are the main demographic of essential workers employed as cooks, cashiers, retail salespersons, maids, and elementary school teachers. According to a fact sheet provided by NOLA Insight Center, such professions have paid yearly salaries as low as $6,531 this past year, falling criminally short when compared to the estimated $60,782 listed in Lauren LaBorde’s Curbed article on April 21, 2016. “Here’s How Much Money You Need to Live in New Orleans Comfortably.” These women, who provide essential services, are not making enough money to survive much less live comfortably. Their heavy financial insecurities have been exacerbated by the fact that the aforementioned estimate for living salaries assumes that employees are childless. In fact, the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) 2020 report, “A Basic Demographic Profile of Workers in Frontline Industries,” has found over one-third of the essential population in New Orleans caring for at least one minor. The COVID-19 pandemic has made an already untenable situation exceedingly dangerous, and affirmative measures must be taken within the

community at large in order to assist affected women during this time of need. As a consequence of their circumstances, women, particularly women of color are bearing the brunt of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Louisiana, leaving devastated families in their wake. A major factor at play in terms of the pandemic’s impact on essential working women lies in their lack of benefits. A report by Insight Center, “Covid-19 Fact Sheet: Black Workers In New Orleans Face Higher Obstacles Than White Workers,” released on August 28, 2020, reports, “Women of all races are disproportionately represented in employment as childcare workers, home health aides, and maids and housekeepers… lack paid sick leave or health insurance.” As a result of this gendered economic vulnerability in an era of COVID-19 shutdowns and isolation, many have lost their jobs and suffered evictions, leaving them at once sick and homeless. Community members have offered various resources in order to better support essential employees. A few nonprofits based in the New Orleans area include, NOLA Community Fridges, Giving Hope Community Center, and Bee’s Grocery Fund/MiNO, all of which deliver food to essential workers and homeless

community members. However, they have struggled to maintain volunteers and require donations in order to carry on. Without these programs many women will be stripped of their last barrier between scarcity and starvation. There is no time to wait for state or nationally governing entities to address the concerns of female essential workers. Policymakers in New Orleans have been fighting to alleviate hardships by raising the minimum wage, only to confront Louisiana’s status as one of 28 states in America that has preempted this measure, which means that the state is the only party with the authority to influence worker’s wages. Therefore, New Orleans, a fiscally liberal city, is subject to the whims of conservative lobbyists, such as the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Some political leaders have presented government initiatives to offer reprieve to ‘essential but unappreciated’ neighbors, but conservative opposition has made grassroots work the only effective route for New Orleans’ residents. In October, Congress considered a bill that had the capacity to provide women across the country with previously whimsical (albeit limited) provisions, the most necessary being affordable and expanded healthcare. The Build Back Better Framework provided by The White House claimed “ up to 4 million uninsured people in states,”

stood to gain insurance should the legislation ever be adopted. Prominent conservatives were quite vociferous in their lack of support for this agenda, which has resulted in a revised plan that excludes benefits for essential workers. They were not considering the needs of their constituents. An interview with an essential worker, who agreed to speak with The Feminist Forum anonymously, is included below. Have you ever felt financially insecure due to inadequate pay? "Yeah, definitely. When I was first starting out there were points where I would be going on grocery runs at the church down the street for what we could get. It’s still an issue today, honestly. I’ve been working in this field for this long but in all that time I’ve only had my pay go up by like five dollars or so." How long have you been working in this capacity? "I’ve been working in early childhood education for a little over twenty years now." Have you received hazard pay? "No." Health insurance? "Yes."

Childcare services? "Yeah, but not for free. I get a little bit of a discount but we’re still paying about $1000 a month... I was working while pregnant before the pandemic and lockdown, and ended up getting to spend more time with my son because of the lockdown. But I was still expected to work remotely despite me being on maternity leave. We also went through that whole situation with not being able to find care for him for a minute because I was told he would be able to go to class, but then they changed their mind on me at the last minute. So for a year there it was just a matter of shuffling how we would take care of Adam and how I would still work." Are you receiving sufficient support on behalf of your employer? "Not really. Like I said before they still had me working there while pregnant, and I only ended up getting out because Adam decided he wanted to come the next day. After that I was told that Adam would definitely be able to attend school in August 2020, but then

they told me at the last minute that he wasn’t going to be able to attend because there was no more room...even though there were two spaces left in his classroom. And it was like there was no care for these kids coming back either. We got things cleaned up in our classroom and had new rules for COVID, but there was an outbreak pretty often after kids started coming back in. It was bad. Parents were desperate to make sure their kids had a place to be while they worked, and kids are gonna be kids. Germs spread, y’know? So it was like there wasn’t really any thought put into reopening for the teachers either. I ended up taking the reins on most of it, and then in my reevaluation, they tried to give me low marks for “not trying hard enough” through the pandemic. Like I wasn’t pregnant through most of it. Crazy right?" Do you feel valued by your community? "I definitely love the teachers I work with and the parents and kids I see every day, but in terms of leadership, no, I don’t feel valued. If anything I feel disposable. And I’m not the only one. Teachers who’ve been working there since, like, the

80’s let me know that there were tons of issues before with them being rude and sometimes racist to teachers, and when those ladies complained they would fire them. These same people are still running that center. They still have those attitudes towards teachers; they’re just not as open about it nowadays. Until America’s institutions and employers are able to prove to essential women that they are not expendable, there must be increased support on behalf of the NOLA community. It’s baffling to see the very women educating children, ringing up groceries, cleaning facilities, and preparing the food that feeds the nation being deprived of the services they provide."

THE EDUCATORS

DR. SHERYL KENNEDY HAYDEL: On Being Intentional & Transforming Destinies

Dr. Sheryl Kennedy Haydel

by: Kennedy Garrett

“People are counting on us, not to be but we have to remember that someone perfect, but to be intentional.” always is.” After witnessing her cousins going These are the words of Dr. Sheryl out into the world, Dr. Haydel folKennedy Haydel, the new director of lowed through with her desire to do the the School of Communication and same. “I had an adventurous spirit and Design (SCD). As a New Orleans na- wanted to see as much of the world as tive, this city is anything but new to I could,” she said. Dr. Haydel’s journey Dr. Haydel. After working all over the began in Atlanta where she attended country, she is glad to be home and to Clark College. “I enjoyed being in a be joining the Loyola community. city that was alive, especially around Dr. Haydel grew up in the 7th Blackness. . . . That was important to Ward of New Orleans. In her teen me.” Her later experiences in the comyears, she witnessed feminism through munications field across the nation her older cousins, who were strong and have placed her in a position to recogindependent women. They were Black nize the intersection of race and class in women in the South who worked and the workplace. went to school. They did not limit their While working up North, she reexposure to the world because of the called being treated like an anomaly. roles that society had already assigned “They would say things like, ‘Oh your to women. “I saw them as leaders and parents must be doctors or lawyers,’ women who were really in control of and I was like no they’re public school their destinies as much as one can be,” teachers,” Dr. Haydel laughed. There Dr. Haydel said. “They always seemed was such a stigma associated with peoto be super thoughtful about the de- ple from the South and how they were cisions they made in life, so I said I able to learn and excel. “I wanted to get would be, too.” Dr. Haydel reflected away because I wanted to show peoon those who count on her, especial- ple what a person from here looks like ly knowing how her cousins inspired and maybe break some of those stereoher. “Sometimes as women, especial- types,” she said. “It was such a natural ly as women, it can feel like no one is instinct for me to try to do my best in paying attention to us or watching us,

any space that I was in, and I felt even more compelled to surprise people who thought that we weren’t good for much but Mardi Gras, drinking and eating.” However, she came to an unexpected conclusion. “What I learned is that, no matter the region, everywhere has its problems. We have more in common than we think.” Dr. Haydel has lived and worked in many cities, including D.C., Chicago, Wisconsin, Austin, Seattle, as well as many others. “One thing I learned is that all the problems we think we only have here in New Orleans, they have them in every other urban area.” Dr. Haydel recalls issues such as housing and education being relevant in every city she has lived in. “I believe we all share the same struggles, whether it be race or gender issues. It happens everywhere, and how we move forward from it is how we are defined,” Dr. Haydel stated. Loyola’s School of Communication and Design is destined to move forward this year, as it has been able to do with the support of its new director. “I’m excited to come to work everyday,” she expressed. “If I had to choose two words to describe this community, I’d say it is very warm and kind.” Students have been open about the past of the SCD and how they would like the present and the future to look a lot different. Dr. Haydel is appreciative of their honesty which is without fear of being penalized. “I’m learning that the students are extremely forward think-

ing,” she said. “I get a radiant sense that they are concerned about the legacy of the SCD.” Dr. Haydel has committed herself to the success of this school. “I think there’s so much potential here,” she shared. “There is so much we can do, and even though people say there is nothing new and everything has been done before, the way you sustain it could be something totally new and different.” The pandemic has surely brought about some changes, changes that require a new sense of reflection. Dr. Haydel believes that being honest and reflective has helped her to be a good leader throughout this transitional period. With COVID-19 and the recent aftermath of Hurricane Ida, women who came before her have been a daily motivation. “I usually wake up in the morning and think about the women who did not have the choice or agency that I have. And right when I start thinking about that, I immediately snap back to reality and become grateful even when it’s not the best of circumstances.” Dr. Haydel believes she is in a great position to make the change that needs to happen and to be the leader that people need her to be. However, during this difficult time in the world, she recognizes her limits. “We are in a pandemic. We had Hurricane Ida. We have damage to our house.” This time has taught her to give grace to herself and others. Being her best while protecting herself is how she is able to get up and fight another day.

“It’s a balancing act,” she added. One of Dr. Haydel’s goals is to create a genuine and authentic workspace. She sees the importance in surrounding herself with people who remind each other to be kind to themselves. When we don’t create that environment for ourselves, she believes that we can get caught in the mindset of having to be perfect when, instead, we should just be as collaborative, genuine and transparent as possible. “This is what will help us get to the finish line versus just trying to fake it until we make it.” The pandemic has taught us that the world can be shut down, opportunities taken away, and lives lost, all in a moment’s notice. “It makes us think about the legacy we’re leaving behind, and I definitely want mine to be one that is honest and true to the principle of bringing positive change,” Dr. Haydel said. “I aim to be a galvanizing force, something that brings people together so that they feel united by a common cause or good.”She hopes to bring inspiration and visibility to the SCD community, a much needed positive change. Dr. Haydel hopes that she can inspire everyone who she comes in contact with. “I don’t take intersections in life lightly, so that means paths cross for a reason, and there is always some purpose behind it,” she said. “I always want to be intentional and engaged and plugged into every moment.” As the new director of the SCD,

Dr. Haydel’s plans are to meet with students, especially those who are not necessarily student leaders or who maybe do not speak up all the time. She wants to touch base with them and let them know that she sees them. “It’s so important to be seen and heard. As a Black woman, I’ve been in plenty of spaces where I felt like ‘Okay, if this person asks me my name one more time.’ You know?” she said. Remembering names carries a great deal of significance to her. It’s a way of saying ‘I see you and I hear you and I know you’re there.’ On a larger scale, Dr. Haydel hopes to explore any changes that need to be made in curriculum and to bring in more faculty of color and diversity. More than anything, she looks forward to her time at Loyola as being transformational. Dr. Haydel hopes every SCD student feels invested in their journey. “I want everyone to feel proud of this school and I don’t want them to feel regret because of its past,” she shared. “I want them to feel like they made the right choice and that we’re gonna be okay, more than okay.”

TONIA LORIA: On COVID, Zoom, and Spiders

Tonia Loria

by: Gabrielle Tanet

“You’ve got to work for your own tine was not an easy time for any Amerimagic” can. She remembers sitting down to work in the morning and then looking up only Tonia Loria’s last two years as to realize the whole day had passed. It was Vice-Chancellor of Academics at difficult to balance the demands of her job Nunez Community College have not and her home life. There was too much to been easy. Loria spent the first ten years do, and no time to get it done. of her career as a preschool teacher and Despite the dread and uncertainty then transferred to teaching Care and during the early days of the pandemic, LoDevelopment of Young Children at a ria did not let it get her down. The Loria college level. Despite her work in high- house was packed tight with four college er education for almost twenty years, students and one high school student, so the same age as her daughter Eryn, Loria found herself conducting her zoom nothing could have prepared her for meetings outside on her deck. This is the COVID-19 pandemic. where Loria met her new colleagues: giIn January of 2020, Loria and her gantic spiders, a friendly lizard, and an team only had two weeks to switch all overly helpful cat who liked to open new of their classes online. Nunez Commu- tabs for her. Loria laughs as she recalls, nity College serves around 2,400 stu- “Those were all things that I didn’t think dents, most of which require hands-on we’re going to be part of the experience instruction in fields such as welding, this year, but boy they were.” Though phlebotomy, and culinary arts. In the she missed her co-workers and students first two weeks of quarantine, Loria dearly, Loria was not lonely during her and her co-workers worked non-stop time in quarantine with her many wildto facilitate a smooth transition from life companions. “[During quarantine] in-person to online learning for their you couldn’t see anybody. I mean, it’s just students. Not only did she have ad- you and the spiders and the lizards outside ministrative responsibilities, but Lo- having these conversations.” ria also had to soothe the anxieties of Loria has experienced the ups and her co-workers and students. In a time downs of virtual learning from her adfraught with uncertainty, Loria and ministrative role and the experiences of her team needed to be strong for their her children in college and high school. community. The beginning of quaran- Thus, Loria has a few tips and tricks to

help zoom be a little more enjoyable. Her first word of advice– turn on your camera. Loria contends that it helps everyone to be able to see a friendly face after so much time in isolation. It also helps you resist the urge to multitask; it’s tempting to read through emails or do other work during a meeting but being able to see others and being seen yourself keeps everyone more engaged. Her second word of advice– “make your own magic.” Right now, during the pandemic, “there is no more kismet,” Loria says. “You can not just run into someone in the hallway and strike up a conversation. You can not just pop into someone’s office to talk about something not worth emailing. One thing we all miss dearly during the pandemic is the spontaneous conversations that we used to take for granted.” Loria’s solution to this is to portion out time during meetings to joke around, catch up, and just spend time together without a formal structure. Though everyone has zoom fatigue, Loria says, “you’ve got to ask how your mom is doing or how your kids are. Those are the things that bind us together as a community: an opportunity to have less formal conversations. That’s so important.” Lastly, Loria says that, although it’s difficult, you need to reach out and be there for others outside of a professional setting. “You need to make sure that things are happening other than email. If you haven’t heard from somebody in a while, it’s important to make a call. Even if it takes more work.” Though Loria did a lot of heavy lift-

ing in her position as Vice-Chancellor, she makes sure to credit her amazing co-workers as well. Such as Ruth Frisco, an eightyyear-old culinary teacher who managed to teach her cooking classes virtually from her kitchen. Katie Nettles was once a student of Loria’s and is now the Dean of Career and Technical education at Nunez. And lastly, Mr. Washington, an instructor at Nunez, a good man, and an amazing colleague, unfortunately, passed due to COVID early on during the pandemic. Even though the beginning days of the pandemic were described by Loria as “the world was on fire,” she was able to stay in good spirits. She also remains hopeful for the future, “These vaccines will work and we’ll be able to talk to each other face to face again.” Until that day, Loria’s last words of advice are, surprisingly, to keep some Play-Doh nearby. She recommends putting some vanilla in it and squishing the Play-Doh, out of camera range, during a stressful class or meeting. Lora claims that it can be very stress-reducing.

THE RESTAURATE

EURS

COMMANDING LADIES OF NOLA: Lally Brennan & Ti Martin

Ti Martin (right)

Lally Brennan (left)

by: Morgan Love and Jai Shy

“One of the great joys of our business is pairing food and art.” -Ti Martin

Jai Shy: What was it like growing up in the restaurant industry?

Lally Brennen and Ti Martin are cousins and co-proprietors of Commander’s Palace, a famous New Orleans restaurant that has been a landmark of the city since 1893. Both of these women have achieved extraordinary success as individuals and as a duo. Both born and bred in New Orleans and growing up in their family’s famous restaurant, their life journeys eventually led them to their current partnership. Commander’s Palace flourished under their leadership, and it continues to thrive despite the pandemic. Their determination, compassion, and creativity drove them to overcome challenges posed by COVID-19. To that end, they collaborated with a variety of partners to develop unique and exciting ways to sustain their extraordinary family businesses, to uplift New Orleanians, and to mentor the next generation. The WRC’s “At The Intersection” co-producer and co-anchor, Jai Shy, had the opportunity to interview Lally Brennan and Ti Martin, and The Feminist Forum has the great pleasure of sharing their insignts through that interview with our readers.

Lally Brennan: Well, actually, my cousin Ti grew up in the restaurant industry more than I did. I started working with my family when I was about 28. My father had an institutional food business. So he wasn’t as involved in the restaurant as Ti’s mom was, so yeah. Ti should speak to that. Ti Martin: I was certainly running around as a little kid in the restaurants with my mom and her siblings. We lived two blocks away from the restaurant. We were just always there. We were involved in so many things when they started up jazz brunch. Or for Mother’s Day they’d dress us up in gowns and make us hand out flowers to all the moms. I did dishes. I mean we were just around the restaurant. It was just very much a part of our lives. Jai Shy: Today, I know COVID kind of redesigned the whole restaurant industry. There have been a lot of new rules. So how have you dealt with that? Lally Brennan: We’ve become very

creative. We, I think, came up with some good ideas. First of all, we were concerned about everybody. We got involved with the Krewe of Red Beans and Feed the Frontline. And we did that to help the community. And we got involved with some other projects, one of which we opened in front of the accounting office at Commander’s. We offered take out food, hot and cold. We started a Wednesday night Wine and Zoom party, which has really turned into this amazingly fun evening. It’s turned into a costume party, a dance party, and delicious wines and cheese. Wine makers from all over the world join us at 3 in the morning wherever they are. And Stevie with St. James Cheese is amazing. And we pick costume winners. It’s just been loads of fun. We have local talent that comes and plays. So it’s just been this wonderful party that everyone needed to join because they wanted to do something to be socially involved with people they know or new people. Ti Martin: We certainly started feeding our own team right after COVID hit. And we have certainly made fun during this year. It was the hardest year of my career, professionally. It was just very difficult to be closed for 6 months and you didn’t know it was going to be 6 months. You know it was just nuts. So we started doing the to-go food which turned into Le Petit Blue, which Lally explained. . .

One of the other things we started doing was called Gold Belly [a business that ships food from iconic restaurants all over America]. And I just didn’t think this was going to be a big thing and hadn’t really made it happen before COVID. It’s now pretty big business for us. . . . I mean who knew they wanted quail and turtle soup all over America. Apparently they do. So those are some of the things we’ve done. Jai Shy: Did you expect the virtual cocktail hour to be so big? Ti Martin: The truth is that we had no idea. I didn’t even know what Zoom was. A friend of ours named Ted George had a suggestion of something we’d been thinking of. We would get our friends together and get some wine and cheese and they get to learn with us. Because you know one of the great joys of our business is learning about pairing food and wine. And it’s really an art. So that was the idea. And it just blew up. The first theme was French so everyone was told to put on their beret, and New Orleaneans thought that meant have a full on costume party. So we’re doing this teaching but in a fun way. But the reality is that we are now in the virtual conference business. So business started asking us like “hey we’re all Zooming but y’all are figuring out a fun way to do it. So now we do this for banks and insurance companies and all sorts of things. And so “no” is the answer to your question. We did not see this coming, but we see it continuing.

Jai Shy: Can you tell us about your involvement with Girls First? Ti Martin: Well, my best friends Helen Siegel and Missy McGuire started it years ago, and I was always sort of their secret fundraiser and with whatever I could help with. And Lally was always there too. And it was just a fun, amazing group of young women. And they did this for 19 years. They helped young girls in the city. It started off as summer camp. And some of these folks had never gotten to do that at all. They went horseback riding and canoeing and at the gym at Tulane doing all sorts of sports. They wanted to learn fine dining table etiquette so we taught that class. And we came up with the etiquette olympics. And we’d throw fundraisers. Several times we had them come to dinner at Commander’s. That was great stuff. And I’ll tell you an amazing story. One of the young ladies that was part of that program I saw one day at Commander’s. And she said, “Ms. Ti!” And it was this young woman who I had known for much of her life through those camps named Jewel. Jewel is now an assistant manager at our restaurant Picnic. And she has finished culinary school. Her sister who we also knew is in med school. It was an amazing program.

Jai Shy: What is it like to be a leading lady in the restaurant industry? Lally Brennan: I don’t know how to say the answer to that! I just think it’s what we do. I don’t know if I feel like a leading lady, but I guess I might be. It’s just a lot of years of doing what you love and making memories with people and networking and mentoring younger people. It’s really very flattering. I wouldn’t change a thing. It's been very special. Ti Martin: She’s very, very extraordinary in what she does. So she’s minimizing but anyway. She has no idea the effect she has on a room when she goes through it. But we do love what we do so we don’t sit around thinking of ourselves like that. But I will say you do get to a certain age where at least I feel a great deal of pride in what this next generation is doing. And I love to try to help wherever I can. Because sometimes we may know a little something that maybe they don’t have to learn the hard way the way that we did. And that’s fun. Really fun. Jai Shy: Do you have any advice for anyone pursuing that field or for just life in general?

Ti Martin: There’s a book called “So Good They Can’t Ignore You.” And that’s a great one for young people or anybody to look at. Everyone says this thing “do what you love and the rest will come.” This book says the opposite. Get really good at something and then you’ll love it. A piece of advice that I alway give is find one little part of the world to become an expert in. It might be something that a lot of people don’t really know much about. Become an expert in something like that. It’s amazing what it can do. Lally Brennan: On a much different note, I remember Ti’s mother saying to me “When you find a job you love, it becomes your lifestyle.” We all have to work so just be sure you find something you really enjoy and then it’s not a job. It’s your passion.

THE LEADERS

ONCE THERE WAS A WOMAN: Her Name is Wendy Randall

Wendy Randall

by: Veronica Weisensee

“You are not your circumstances. Randall recalls, “When you look out the Persevere, and do not give up.” window, you see so many things that are so discouraging. I had to work hard Wendy Randall is a teacher, sub- for a measure of hope, an ounce of stance abuse counselor, and author of hope.” Randall firmly clung to a belief the memoir, Once There was a Girl; a in a larger world that existed beyond story that Educational Consultant and her neighborhood, a world of bountiful Author Martha E Casazza described as, opportunity and vast horizons. “...one of tremendous courage and deA supportive community of womtermination.” The memoir, centered on en, immense personal integrity, and Randall’s childhood in a New Orleans faith in God were Randall’s sources of housing project surrounded by crime strength and cultivated her belief that and intense poverty, explores how her she could reach that horizon of hope. mother guided her to “pray” and to use “Teachers came alongside me and her faith to overcome extraordinary helped me to survive, and later thrive,” obstacles. Randall’s story is a powerful Randall said. “I was mentored by example of a human being who has strong women.” Her mother and godled and continues to lead a life of joy mother served as foundational figures and strength, sorrow and faith. She is a in her life. These women taught her to woman who has had to overcome many actively listen to those around her and hardships, astounding and inspiring carry on despite her marginalized status others with her eloquence and power. as a Black woman in America. Randall, Randall originally wrote an essay speaking with power and conviction, about her experiences when she was a declared: “You are not your circumgraduate student, but her peer’s emo- stances. Persevere, and do not give up.” tional responses stuck with her, and She has always been particularly grateeventually she felt called to share her ful for her godmother, who held her acstory with a broader audience. This lit- countable regardless of whatever harderary work gives the reader a glimpse ships she endured. “Her sternness was into the life of an African American girl very helpful,” she recalled. “You need as she ascends to adulthood in impov- someone who is not going to give you erished and dangerous conditions. As any slack.” She also found inspiration

in her spiritual life. “Prayer was a significant undercurrent in my life,” Randall said. “My mom would always say ‘pray’ and I thought she was dismissing me.” Eventually she began taking her mom’s advice, and she turned to God as a source from which she could seek solace. When asked about the obstacles she and her community confronted, Randall lamented, “I saw a lot of my peers fall on the wayside.” Randall recalled the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy among her friends. “With each passing year, one more would drop off, and I remember thinking: I do not want to become one of those statistics.” To overcome the many challenges she confronted, Randall held onto her faith and focused on academics. Upon graduating high school, she went on to Dillard University and became fluent in both French and Spanish, obtaining a degree in the latter. She traveled to Spain several times and carries a deep love for Spanish culture in particular. Randall aspires to advocate for Black men, women, and children living in historically Spanish and French territories. “I’d love to be a catalyst for change and help to support people struggling

in these countries. I like to speak to people and share my story.” It took Randall many years to begin writing her memoir even though the idea had always been in the back of her mind. Her husband found her story compelling and powerful and encouraged her to share her journey with others. “He kept telling me, ‘you should start writing your book’ and one day he bought me a legal pad.” Following the release of her memoir, Randall was touched to find a review of her memoir by an acquaintance in which the reviewer noted it helped her keep her faith and have hope during a difficult time in her life. Family members were also very touched by her memoir. Randall was particularly moved by her aunt’s response, adding, “My aunt got to know her sister by reading my story.” Because Randall’s aunt was quite a bit younger than her sister, they were never able to connect in a significant capacity. Then Randall’s mom died, and the possibility of knowing was lost. This book created a portal in which these two sisters could have a relationship, which was extremely healing. Randall also found the process of sharing her story validating as her chil-

dren, close friends, and strangers, came to understand her struggle, which was an altogether empowering experience. She hopes that other Black women will share their stories and form an increasingly supportive community. Trust in her faith gave Randall strength and renewed vigor, and a legacy of brave women acted as a tangible source of power. She saw worth in her existence and reason for reaching her full potential. This faith has taken Randall across continents, allowed her to assist individuals struggling with addiction, and fostered a rich and fulfilling life. Randall’s memoir is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bowen, and Community Bookstore. Once There Was a Girl is a memoir that opens a window into the life of a truly exceptional woman.

FEMI ADEGOKE: A Leading Lady of Loyola

Femi Adegoke

by: Kennedy Garrett

“I think it’s super important for little interested in an SGA position of the girls to see women that look like them in information sessions that they are repositions that, sixty years ago, they may quired to attend. not have been in.” Outside of SGA, Adegoke manages social media for the Loyola Society Femi Adegoke is a sophomore of Civic Engagement and is a member political science major at Loyola Uni- of the Black Student Union. She is also versity New Orleans who has already the director of tutoring preparation made her mark on campus. In this and matching for the Loyola Pre-Law 2021 interview, Adegoke unpacks her Society. This newly established organiinvolvement in politics on campus and zation provides support to Loyola stuin the world. Speaking and acting with dents with an interest in law school. At confidence, she establishes her role as their biweekly meetings, their goal is to a leader on campus and shows us how be a resource for students who want to the future really is feminist. pursue law post-graduation. These reAs the commissioner of elections sources include free LSAT preparation, at Loyola University New Orleans, mentor and mentee programs, and varshe dedicates her time to the Student ious workshops. Recently, the organizaGovernment Association’s election tion hosted a mentoring speed-dating, process. “I think it’s super important,” which paired Pre-Law Society members she says “to have people get involved with current students at Loyola’s law in the presiding bodying government, school. whether that be national, state, loAs a Black woman in school polical, or even on a school campus.” In tics, Adegoke reflects on the importance this role, she hopes to make students of African American women leaders at aware of the policies they vote for and local, state, and national levels. With the people they vote for to enact those people such as Stacey Abrams and Kapolicies. Adegoke values student lead- mala Harris in office, she believes Black ers who help to represent the student women are making a name for thembody as a whole, including its ideas, selves in politics. This representation wants and needs. As election season ap- matters. “I think it’s super important proaches, she wants to remind students for little girls to see women that look

like them in positions that, sixty years ago, they may not have been in,” she says. Adegoke’s own career aspirations include attending law school and then going into diplomacy and foreign policy and global markets. “Globalization is moving at a rapid speed, and we’re seeing that with language, social media, and all those things,” she explains. “There is a need to have people who are fostering healthy and positive global relations for world peace.” After hearing about her involvement on campus and her thoughts on representation, it should come as no surprise that Adegoke believes feminism is necessary. With politics historically being a “man’s game,” she thinks it is time we recognize that women should be allowed the same opportunities in the field. “We are changemakers,” she declares. “Women in politics is imperative because we need our voices when determining policies that are going to affect our quality of living.” To illustrate her point, Adegoke points at how Germany tries to have 50% male

and 50% women in their legislative body. In a similar way, she believes the United States needs to prioritize representation. When asked her thoughts on being recognized as a leading lady at Loyola in the Feminist Forum, she expresses how blessed she feels to be part of so much in such a short time on campus. She hopes her accomplishments will motivate other first-year students to get involved. Adegoke emphasizes that there are many great programs and initiatives occurring right here on campus. She is grateful to have found her home in student politics. Adegoke encourages students of color to go after their interests no matter the obstacles they may confront. As she concludes: “More than anything, I want students to get out there and run, vote, stay politically engaged, stay involved on and off campus, and always be informed.”

NIA WEEKS: A Leading Lady of Louisiana by: Morgan Love & Gabrielle Tanet

Nia Weeks

“How do we create a system where civic engagement is just not something that we do but it is ingrained in our skin.” When Nia Weeks was in elementary school at The Academy of Sacred Heart in New Orleans, a classmate poured water over her head during recess. Weeks’ mother used to straighten her naturally curly hair every morning and her white classmates refused to believe that her hair was “real.” Weeks shared this story with reporter Jessica Williams for a December 9, 2020 story in Nola.com after appearing before the New Orleans City Council to encourage the committee to pass a version of the C.R.O.W.N. ACT. In the courtroom, where Weeks defended her clients, she was told to straighten out her hair so she would not be seen as “another angry black woman” and hurt her client’s case. When Weeks was looking for housing, she was worried that her neighbors would be intimidated by her natural hair and not rent to her. These stories are not unique to Weeks, Black women all over the world have faced discrimination just because of their natural hair is “distracting,” “intimidating,” or “ostentatious.” Weeks was frustrated with the prejudice she and other Black women faced, so she fought to pass the C.R.O.W.N Act in New

Orleans– and she succeeded. The C.R.O.W.N. Act, or Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural, prohibits the discrimination of “hair styles commonly worn by members of a particular race.” On March 9, 2021, Weeks explained to Bobbi-Jeanne Misick of WWNO-Public Radio that under this act, any claims of race based discrimination of hairstyles must tbe reviewed New Orleans’ Human Rights Commission. New Orleans is the first city in the deep south to adopt this act but the fight continues throughout the rest of the country. The C.R.O.W.N. Act is extremely important because 45% of Black women say that they experience racism most often in the workplace, and Black women are 80% more likely to change their hair in order to fit social expectations. Weeks is working in concert with many other activists in Louisiana to pass the C.R.O.W.N. Act in the Louisiana State Legislature. Weeks’s devotion to this important cause also led her to team up with director Damian D. Smith to create a film #Free to be Free, which was the recipient of the jury prize and the audience prize of the Women’s Resource Center’s “The 20%: Women’s Filmmaker Festival & Showcase” on March 24, 2022. Weeks produced and wrote the film, which she

described in her submission to the festival as, “Black Women all speak Black Hair. Despite its unique beauty, the heavy social, economic and health implications that many Black Women face regarding our hair has led to the need to pass ordinances and Bills across Louisiana that protect those of us who choose to wear our hair in a natural hairstyle. I got the privilege, with my crew in tow, to listen to Black Women and Girls throughout the state … .while joyously weaving together our collective shared experiences." Though it is not surprising that so many people agreed to speak with Weeks because she has such a disarming and compassionate nature. Moreover, Weeks is extremely influential in the New Orleans community and the rest of America as the Founder and Executive Director of Citizen SHE and Citizen SHE United, an advocacy group in Louisiana. Though Weeks now has the job of her dreams, it was a long and difficult journey to get there. She received a Bachelor's in Communications with a minor in Women’s Studies from Indiana State University. She was married during her sophomore year and had two children by her junior year. After graduation, Weeks moved to Florida with her family and worked with nonprofits advocating for children in the foster care system. She was extremely passionate about her work but grew frustrated with her inability to help fos-

ter children to a greater extent. As she recalled, “. . . they keep stopping me at the courthouse saying I’m not a lawyer. So, in order to get there, I’ve got to be a lawyer.” Weeks began studying for law school during her lunch breaks at work and was admitted into Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Week’s journey through law school was not an easy one. She got divorced from her husband, developed Gestational diabetes during her pregnancy, and was logistically homeless with her four children. filled with many ups and downs. Despite all of her hardships Weeks graduated and became a public defender– a job she both loved and hated. Weeks loved her clients but was frustrated by the justice system as a whole. “I was getting really disheartened by navigating people through a system that absolutely is vetted for their failure… I’ve got to stop putting Band-Aids over dams. I’ve got to work in a way that is influencing a restructure of the system,” Weeks said in an interview with Darreonna Davis of the Howard University News Service. Davis called the article “A Warrior Of A Woman: Nia Weeks, Orleans Parish Advocate” Indeed, she is a warrior of a woman and for women. Weeks decided to find a stronger avenue to advocate for women. Thus, she quit her job as a public defender and joined Women With A Vision, Inc. As noted on Women With A Vi-

sion’s Website, WWAV is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 by a group of African-American women in response to the growing rates of HIV/AIDS in Black, heterosexual women. Origionally, WWAV provided HIV/AIDS education and substance abuse resources to memebers of their community “practicing highrisk behaviors such as injection drug use and unsafe sex practices.” Women With A Vision now focuses on advocating for marginalized Black women--trans women, sex workers, homeless women, etc.. During her time there, Weeks helped increase voter turnout of Black women in New Orleans by 15%. Weeks thanks her mother for allowing her to be the hard working, accomplished, and talented women that she is today, “She is so central to who I am and how I see the world. I'm so grateful for her legacy.” Weeks' upbringing pushed her to advocate for the rights of Black people and hold policy makers accountable to their duty to protect their Black constituents. “What [are you going to] do about these people that are constantly being harassed by the police? What [are you going to] do about these people that keep getting evicted from their homes? What [are you going to] do about these people who cannot make enough money and have to still pay for everything that needs to be paid for, and then criminalized for the decisions that they make in order to survive?” Weeks proposed these questions and created her own solution with her organization Citizen SHE. Citizen SHE is a

501(c)3 and Citizen SHE United is a 501(c)4, which are both non-profit organizations. She has utilized this platform to create an aligned base of Black women who inform, advocate for, and enact a collective policy agenda to address the needs of Black women across Louisiana. Weeks shares how these organizations connect “dope black women” together and create a space for mutual uplift. Weeks said, “You always have to think about how to train people up behind you.” Weeks expressed strong feelings about giving credit to the black women who put their lives on the line to push for change and make these big impacts that actually fix problems instead of simply addressing them. As Weeks continues to expand her roots, she has recently founded two new companies during the pandemic: Detangled and the Black Womxn Lawyers Collective. Detangled is a production company that focuses on film, television and social activism. The Black Womxn Lawyers Collective stands as a platform for Weeks and her business partner, Judge Angel Harris, to share their experiences and to also allow for other black lawyers to share their experiences on being black in this career. The two also put together training programs for law students to discuss advocacy issues and other matters. Nia Weeks is a trailblazer in New Orleans and the rest of the country. She has faced many hurdles during her professional journey but, now that Weeks has overcome them, she is dedicated to making the road easier for the Black women who

follow in her footsteps. She redefines what it means to be on the frontlines of a problem and being the first source of impact. She has utilized her own personal experiences with being a black woman and stands as a reflection of so many lost voices and experiences that have been silenced.

THE LIBERATORS

STEPHANIE MARCELLÉ: Singer and Survivor Illuminating a Path of Hope & Healing

Stephanie Marcellé

by: Chloe Evans

“I would like survivors to believe that her mother have worked together to there is hope, to keep healing and to not create stopsexualassault.org, a webbelieve that this is the end of their story.” site that compiles information and resources to help survivors of sexual Stephanie Marcellé is a songwrit- assault. er and activist who uses her music to “I started stopsexualassault.org afreach out to other survivors of sexual ter I transferred to Loyola. I was sexassault. In 2021, she released her de- ually assaulted at Tulane. So to restart but album HUMAN. The intent be- my education and to get a fresh start, hind her album is to raise awareness I went to Loyola. My mother and I about sexual assault as well as to make had accumulated different resources survivors feel less alone. She discussed throughout my journey. Through the her debut album and the inspiration Title IX student process,... the crimibehind it with “At The Intersection,” nal justice system, and… the civil jusan IGTV talk show produced by the tice system, we reached out to the peoWomen’s Resource Center. ple who were helping us. We decided “I’m a musician who sings and to put all of the [information] that we writes songs, plays instruments, and had accumulated into that website in produces music. I was sexually assault- order to help other people and to… ed during my first year of college, so I make… one place where they could incorporate different elements into my get all of those different resources. It’s music in order to help other survivors. already overwhelming going through I’m releasing an album that is dedicat- that sort of thing, having to look ed to raising awareness about sexual as- through all these websites and differsault and… exploring different things ent hotline numbers. We wish that that us survivors are going through”. there was just one place we could’ve Marcellé has been using this op- found all of these places to reach out portunity to raise money while re- to and… to help us throughout that leasing songs for her album. She and process. That is a big reason we started

it: to be able to help people… get the help they need.” Marcellé is hoping to donate some of her profits from her album to the Rape Abuse Incest National Network (RAINN). Marcellé said, “I really love to use the money I make to give back. My mother is in social services, and she has her master’s degree in counseling, so I grew up watching her help people. I chose… to constantly put a portion of it towards people who need help.” In the past, Marcellé has donated to the Louisiana Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response Center as well as other places, but Marcellé wishes to help people beyond her immediate community. “I wanted to reach people throughout the nation, not just locally. I started thinking about the national network that I could reach out to. A big place that we [pulled] resources from to put on the website was from RAINN, so… I decided to put the money towards that organization.” Marcellé’s album HUMAN originally started as a music project while she was a student at Loyola University New Orleans. She pulled from her experiences as a survivor of sexual assault to inspire her album and used the time during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to develop her songs into exactly what she wanted to express. “I was in the pop program at Loyola, so we had to put together some type of music project to release. It could be anything, so I chose to make… an

EP about my experience. I didn’t finish it. There were different things that… stopped me from finishing it, so I just kept working on it and working on it. And as I did, the songs just kept changing and changing the more that I grew. When COVID first started, I had time to focus in on the lyrics that I was writing and the way that the songs were progressing musically. I was looking at what I really wanted to say and getting very, very creative with how I wanted to say those different things and how I could form the lyrics to be something that different survivors could apply to their unique situation.” The title HUMAN is representative of the theme of being human and becoming a whole person, especially after the healing process she worked her way through after being sexually assaulted. Marcellé started with this idea and chose to expand on it creatively and use it as motivation for her project. Marcellé recalled, “I decided to make every song a body part. With the lyrics, I was like, ‘How can I make this song really talk about that whole theme of being human and this being a part of your healing?’ I would figure out different ways to incorporate the body part into the lyrics and then think of what situation I can put into this song to represent an area of feeling, to further talk about if the survivor is going through being bullied at school, or what the survivor is going through in the court system, or going through the

mental health healing process. I matched these situations with each body part to dig deeper and make the lyrics really, really explore that in a very creative metaphoric way. I would line up the lyrics to try and communicate musically in ways that go beyond words.” Marcellé has used her music and her resources as an opportunity to reach other survivors and to help people who are struggling. For example, she served as the keynote speaker at Take Back the Night New Orleans in 2018, a panelist in Louisiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault conference in 2019, a panelist in Loyola’s Peace Conference #MeToo panel in April 2021, and as an introductory speaker during Loyola’s “Know Your Title IX” program in October 2021. In addition, she organized and headlined a benefit concert for Louisiana’s Sexual Trauma and Sexual Awareness (STAR) center in 2018. It’s vital to Marcellé to reach out to survivors. As she concluded: “I love that what I’m doing is helping people. I love that this terrible experience that I’ve had and these terrible things that I still have to deal with, that instead of it just staying

TAKING A STAND AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CAMPAIGN

Raeann Koehler

by: Victoria Blondell. Carmen LeJeune, and Eryn Loria

The Women’s Resource Center partnered with the Office of Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (OCELTS) and Dr. Rae Taylor’s “Domestic Violence” course in a service-learning project to raise awareness about the epidemic of intimate partner violence, to launch advocacy campaigns, and to demonstrate support for survivors. The associate director of the WRC’s advocacy team, Carmen LeJeune, led the advocacy campaign, which included a letter-writing campaign supporting the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA “creates and supports comprehensive, cost-effective responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.” In addition, the WRC advocacy and programming teams and service-learning students tabled in the Danna Center, created posters, handed out resources, and encouraged students to post their commitment to the campaign on social media. Several service-learning students wrote essays that are published in this issue of The Feminist Forum and hosted interviews for the WRC talk show,

At The Intersection. Moreover, the associate directors of the programming and event planning teams, Eryn Loria and Victoria Blondell, led service-learners and WRC student staff members in the development of a panel, “Taking a Stand Against Domestic Violence.” President Tania Tetlow opened the event and emphasized the importance of supporting survivors and advancing efforts to end gender violence. Dr. Rae Taylor, a partner in this project and the Chair of the Criminology and Justice program at Loyola, provided a criminological perspective, illuminating the challenges that victims face when in a domestic violence situation and why leaving the relationship presents strong challenges and danger. Both Representative Mandie Landry (representing the Louisiana State Legislature of District 91), and Representative Aimee Freeman (Louisiana State Legislature of District 98), were able to share their experiences within the political sphere. Specifically, they recounted both the political achievements and challenges faced in regards to domestic violence

tential abuse and toxicity. In addition, they discussed the best ways to support individuals who are in abusive relationships. The Taking a Stand Against Domestic Violence campaign served as an intentional and valuable project that deepened the Loyola community’s understanding of many of the realities of domestic violence and many of the multifaceted ways our community could engage in the movement for change.

Ashlyn Collins

legislation. Mariah Wineski, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, also shared her experiences in advocating for survivors of domestic violence and the initiatives her organization has taken to combat this issue. Makenzee Brown, who serves as an advocate from STAR, similarly discussed the resources available for survivors. The speakers provided valuable insights regarding the complexities of domestic violence and supporting survivors. In conjunction with this panel, the Women’s Resource Center hosted a Feminist Friday talk, “Toxic Relationships & Red Flags: Popular Culture & The Dangers of Romanticizing Gender Violence.” Ash Bayer, a Loyola University counselor survivor coordinator, and Sharonda Williams, Loyola’s Interim Title IX Coordinator, served as guest speakers. They spoke about the myths and realities surrounding relationships as well as illuminated behaviors that serve as warning signs of po-

YOUNG LOVE VS. EMOTIONAL ABUSE by: Chloe Evans

Raeann Koehler

*Names have been changed in this essay to protect the person who agreed to share her story anonymously in hopes of helping others. As young adults, many of us dream of love. We imagine someone who loves us passionately and unconditionally. Maybe we imagine a love like the one that our parents and all those other “perfect adult couples” had. Maybe we imagine a love that is the complete opposite of the one our parents had.. Regardless, we want someone who wants us, and it feels good to find someone who meets that criteria. However, what happens when that love turns bitter? What happens when that passion and desire turns into anger and obsession? Bella was 16 when she had her first boyfriend. He was a quiet boy who sat next to her in math class. They’d go to movies and school dances and they were almost always together, but the conversations often ran dry. They ultimately ended things because of Bella’s feeling that he was just not interested in her. It would not be until years later, at the age of 20, that Bella would find herself in a new relationship. This relationship was different, he was different. Griffin was exciting, passionate about

her. And most importantly, when she was with him, she felt wanted. Bella met Griffin in one of her college classes. He was a charming, outgoing boy who could always be found with a smile on his face. After working together on a group project, Griffin asked Bella to go with him to a party. She went and found that she was not the only person that was charmed by him. Griffin had many friends and acquaintances who all spoke very highly of him. After such positive experiences with him, Bella jumped at the chance to date Griffin on a steady basis. It started slow. Griffin was the perfect gentleman. He would open doors for Bella, buy her gifts, and cook her breakfast in the mornings. She’d find herself at his place frequently, and movie nights and dinner dates would often lead to sleepovers. Bella had everything she had ever wanted in a relationship, or so it seemed. Things quickly sped up when Griffin asked Bella to move in with him only 3 months after they started dating. Bella was so intrigued by her new boyfriend that she did not hesitate to pack up her things and bid her 2 roommates farewell. She never stopped to consider that maybe things were

moving too fast. She loved him and he loved her, that was all that mattered. Almost immediately after moving in with Griffin, he began trying to control everything she did. But, to Bella, who was young and in love, she did not recognize these power and control dynamics as warning signs. Looking back on her relationship with Griffin, she realized that, while the red flags were there, she found them charming. When Griffin would get mad at her for talking to other guys, she thought it was cute that he was jealous. When he would ask her to put on a longer dress or a less revealing top, she t it was sweet that he was being protective. Bella found herself falling victim to the ideology fed to young women about prince charming and needing a man to save them. “Love is blind,” Bella said, “There was nothing he could do or say that would make me think negatively of him, and he knew it.” Bella also recalled how charming he was, winning over her family and friends with ease. When something Griffin did or said didn’t sit right with Bella she would often call on a friend or family member for advice. However, they were so taken with Griffin, they would hardly ever share the negative reaction and would encourage Bella to brush it off. Bella remembers feeling as though she was often overreacting or being too sensitive. “I would think, ‘he doesn’t mean anything by that’ or ‘he’s just

looking out for you’ and then I would feel guilty.” Bella did not recognize at the time that his words and actions were the cause of her discomfort and negative emotions. Bella recalls the first time she was certain that Griffin was in the wrong, and she wasn’t being too sensitive. “It was a warm day in September and we were going to go to a pumpkin patch with my family. I was excited and woke up bright and early to get ready. I was dressed and making coffee when Griffin went to shower. We were both in a good mood, laughing and joking from a room away while he finished getting ready. It wasn’t until he left the bedroom and saw me standing in the kitchen that things turned sour.” Bella went on to describe how Griffin stood in the kitchen staring at her, his smile no longer visible. “He looked angry, ‘Is that what you’re wearing?’ His tone was vicious, but I tried to laugh it off. I was wearing jean shorts and a t-shirt, I thought he couldn’t possibly be angry at that.” Bella remembers thinking that maybe he was mad that she was ready before him, or that she was waiting on him. She tried to brush it off and offer him coffee for the road. “He looked angry, but I was so excited I just wanted to ignore it. It wasn’t until we were walking out the door that he said ‘Fine, dress like a slut for your family, what do I care.’ I was shocked, it felt like he had punched me in the gut.” Bella was distraught by his comment, but tried to

convince herself that he was just angry, she didn’t actually look like a slut in her shorts. It ruined her whole mood, but what happened next was almost a breaking point for their relationship. “We got to the pumpkin patch and my family was already there. I put a smile on my face, not wanting to air out our conflict in front of my family. Griffin greeted everyone as if nothing was wrong, but then he got to my dad. I watched in what felt like slow motion as he said to my father, ‘I apologize for her outfit. Her whole butt is out, but you know how it can be to try to reason with her.’” Bella was so embarrassed. Not only had Griffin critiqued her outfit in front of her father, but he also made it sound like she was difficult and unable to be trusted with her own decisions. Her father was obviously embarrassed to talk about his daughter’s wardrobe choices, and Bella just wanted to curl up into a ball. When Bella and Griffin finally got home, a huge fight ensued. They had had arguments before, but this was different, this was bad. After a lot of time spent yelling at each other, the fight ended when Griffin stormed out of the house. Bella remembers ending that fight feeling bad that she upset him. He had manipulated the situation and somehow convinced her that she had done something wrong. She had started the argument so sure that he was out of line, but ended up apologizing to him when he came home drunk hours later.

That was the first of many similar experiences. Griffin would make her uncomfortable with his off-the-wall comments about her appearance, outfit choices, and friend choices, and Bella would end up being the one to apologize. “It was a weird cycle,” Bella remembered, “I was always so sure that what he was saying was not ok, but then we would argue and he would convince me that I did something wrong.” The cycle continued for almost 4 months and escalated into direct insults and extreme gaslighting. Bella will still sometimes reflect on the relationship with Griffin and his abuse from an outsider’s perspective.“I remember always thinking that I would never let a man speak to me the way I let Griffin. Looking back, I never should have let him speak to me like that. But, in the moment, it’s different. I was in love with him and I truly believed that he loved me. I actually remember believing that he spoke to me like that because he loved me so much that he would get passionate.” Bella said that she was excited to have a boyfriend who cared for her so deeply and was so protective of her. Eventually, after months of this cycle of abuse, it finally hit Bella that how Griffin was treating her was not love, but abuse. “We were at a party for a mutual friend. I was standing in the kitchen talking to a boy I had class with. Griffin came in, saw us talking, and completely freaked out. After 2

or 3 minutes, which felt like hours, of Griffin screaming at me in front of everyone, I left the room in tears. He called me names and accused me of cheating on him. He had yelled at me before of course, but never this publicly.” Bella recalled crying alone in a bathroom, hurt and embarrassed, when a young woman opened the door. Bella tried to defend Griffin when the woman started talking about how inappropriate his behavior was. This stranger was shocked and could not believe that Bella had been so worn down that she could not see how horrible Griffin was being to her. After that talk, Bella finally decided she would leave Griffin. She said, “It hit me like a ton of bricks. All of the sudden everything seemed so clear. I was ashamed that I had let the abuse go on for so long, and I was embarrassed at all of my attempts to explain it away. But at that moment I knew that I could not continue to be in such an emotionally violent relationship.”

Bella was fortunate enough that she was still able to move back into her old apartment. Her roommates helped her pack her bags while Griffin was in class and Bella met with him in public to break up with him officially. “I remember being scared.” She recalled, “He had never hit me, but he would often get very angry and clench his fist or raise his hand. I knew that my leaving him would make him angry and I feared that he would finally snap and hurt me physically.” While Griffin did not make a physical attempt on Bella, he did make a scene. He screamed and yelled and insulted her with everything he had. She was embarrassed once again but was maore sure than ever of her decision to leave him. Griffin tried for a couple of months to get Bella back, waited for her outside of classes and sometimes showed up at her apartment. He eventually gave up, but Bella stays on guard. “I was fortunate to get out of my abusive relationship with minimal

Ashlyn Collins (next)

damage, but I know that is not the case for everyone. I couldn’t imagine adding kids to the situation, or financial dependency. I was fortunate to have a place to go when I left, and a support system to help me stay away and keep me safe.” Bella’s biggest piece of advice to young women in relationships is to trust their intuition. Bella ignored her gut feelings and made excuses for Griffin’s behavior. She wants other young women to know that there is a difference between passion and possession. “Someone who loves you and is passionate about you won’t try to control you. They won’t shame you and try to hurt you.” Bella is not alone in her experience, and she wants others to know that abuse can happen at all ages and in any relationship. “Don’t explain it away. Abuse is abuse and is never ok.”

ANOTHER EPIDEMIC: Intimate Partner Violence and Pregnancy/Postpartum IPV by: Jesse Leboeuf

Raeann Koehler

Louisiana is facing an epidemic of enormous proportions. And no, this is not one of the “usual suspects” — healthcare, education, or the potholes that line our streets. Instead, this new and rising epidemic is female homicide. In 2019, 52 women were murdered by a man in Louisiana. Of these killings, 91% of the women knew their killers; of that cohort, 56% were the “wives, common-law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends of the offenders.”1 These cases represent the most severe culmination of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), which the CDC loosely defines as any abuse that occurs in or following a romantic relationship.2 The abuse may include psychological aggression, stalking, and/or physical and sexual violence. Injury, psychological trauma 1 Violence Policy Center. “When Men Murder Women,” September 27, 2021. https://vpc.org/ when-men-murder-women-louisiana/. 2 “Preventing Intimate Partner Violence |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC,” February 23, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/ fastfact.html.

(of both the primary target and any potential children), lasting health defects, and hardships such as homelessness, loss of job, or substance abuse, are all among the myriad of consequences induced by IPV. If you thought it couldn’t get worse, think again. In 2020, a group of researchers from Tulane and LSU released a shocking report that concluded that homicide was a leading cause of pregnancy-associated death in Louisiana. A pregnant woman in Louisiana is more likely to die of homicide than any other single pregnancy-associated complication, including hypertensive disorders and obstetric embolism.3 During the pregnancy/postpartum period (which is defined in the article as 1 year after childbirth), a woman’s chances of being murdered doubles. Although our statistics are bleak, this phenomenon is 3 Wallace, Maeve E., Joia Crear-Perry, Pooja K. Mehta, and Katherine P. Theall. “Homicide During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in Louisiana, 2016-2017.” JAMA Pediatrics 174, no. 4 (April 1, 2020): 387–88. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.5853.

not unique to Louisiana; across America, approximately 15% of murdered women of reproductive age were, in fact, pregnant or postpartum.4 Even if you take murder off the table, most national studies show that anywhere from 3-9% of pregnant women experience IPV.5 Let that sink in: approximately 5 out of every 100 pregnant women are abused by their partners. Right now, domestic violence is often only being discussed in whispers and obituaries. If we want our young mothers to survive and thrive, that needs to change. So, why does pregnancy-related IPV occur, and what does it look like? First and foremost, IPV is the direct result of patriarchy running wild. As with any culturally transmitted phenomenon, causation cannot be singularly defined, but the persistence of IPV does undeniably depend on the mentality of male superiority. Rampant male entitlement in the social sphere can become laser-focused within the confines 4 Domonoske, Camila. “CDC: Half Of All Female Homicide Victims Are Killed By Intimate Partners.” NPR, July 21, 2017, sec. America. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/21/538518569/cdchalf-of-all-female-murder-victimsare-killed-by-intimate-partners. 5 Alhusen, Jeanne L., Ellen Ray, Phyllis Sharps, and Linda Bullock. “Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes.” Journal of Women’s Health 24, no. 1 (January 1, 2015): 100–106. https://doi.org/10.1089/ jwh.2014.4872.

of a partnership. Because an abuser feels doubly entitled to his female partner’s time and emotional/sexual attention, he can quickly become jealous or angry when his control over their relationship is threatened. Pregnancy introduces a whole slew of circumstances that could be jealousy-inducing for the abuser. Perhaps he will question whether or not the baby is his, or he detests the amount of attention and praise his pregnant partner is receiving. Even if the relationship was not previously abusive, the emotional and financial uncertainty that accompanies pregnancy could create a “perfect storm” for mistreatment to begin. There is no single definitive marker of pregnancy-associated IPV; every woman’s experience is entirely different and valid. That being said, there are some common threads that tie many women’s experiences together. Reproductive coercion in the form of sabotaged contraceptives, unwillingness to use contraceptives, or rape may be used by an abuser to induce pregnancy in an unwilling victim.6 During the prenatal period, abusers could attempt to hinder access to healthcare or act inappropriately during doctor visits by inserting themselves into the exam or 6 Silverman, Jay G., and Anita Raj. “Intimate Partner Violence and Reproductive Coercion: Global Barriers to Women’s Reproductive Control.” PLoS Medicine 11, no. 9 (September 16, 2014): https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pmed.1001723.

vocalizing concerns about his paternity. If the man is physically abusive, the amount of violence directed towards the woman’s belly will increase during this time. When the woman is in labor, an abuser might try to ensure that “all eyes are on him” by making treatment demands or causing a scene via physical threats. This attention-seeking behavior continues into the postpartum period. Besides dealing with the emotional ups and downs of pregnancy and birth, the young mother must also manage her partner’s emotions. The stress of this situation makes the mother more likely to engage in risky behaviors (substance abuse) or develop a mental health disorder (depression, suicidal ideation).7 Similarly, a baby born into this situation is more likely to have significant health concerns (premature birth or low body weight) and to become a tool for the abuser to leverage against his victim.8 Finally, as previously stated, these women are at an increased risk of homicide (likely via gun violence) throughout the entirety of the pregnancy/postpartum period.9 7 Alhusen, Jeanne L., Ellen Ray, Phyllis Sharps, and Linda Bullock. “Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes.” Journal of Women’s Health 24, no. 1 (January 1, 2015): 100–106. https://doi. org/10.1089/jwh.2014.4872. 8 Ibid. 9 Campbell, Jacquelyn, Sabrina Matoff-Stepp, Martha L. Velez, Helen Hunter Cox, and Kathryn Laughon. “Pregnancy-Associated Deaths from Homicide, Suicide, and Drug Overdose: Review of Research and the Intersection with Intimate Partner Violence.”

Pregnancy/postpartum IPV is life-threatening, plain and simple. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness surrounding the issue increases the danger. Too many people are willing to look the other way when they perceive the abuse as a “family problem.” All women are taught to fear the mugger or rapist hiding in the bushes, but too few realize that the greatest threat is sometimes the man they love the most. Short of ending our society’s patriarchal mindset or starting to provide young girls with realistic, science-based information about sex and relationships, the best hope we have to stop this epidemic is our healthcare professionals. “Healthcare professionals’ encounters with women and girls during pregnancy and the postpartum period—times when they are most likely to seek health care services—represent critical windows of opportunity for violence prevention services and interventions targeting them, their partners, or their families.” Simply asking a few pointed questions about a woman’s safety within a relationship, offering emotional support, and providing accessible resources could save a life. If you are not a healthcare professional, the best thing you can do to support efforts to prevent IPV is to inform yourself about the problem and become familiar with domestic violence resources in your area. ***Note: Although IPV occurs at a similar rate among indivudals of all sexJournal of Women’s Health 30, no. 2 (February 1, 2021): 236–44. https://doi. org/10.1089/jwh.2020.8875.

ualities, this article is primarily written from a heteronormative perspective due to the nature of the studies used.

For more information on pregnancy/postpartum IPV, I highly recommend checking out the film Finding Jenn’s Voice, which is available through the voices4change website. For more information on the various manifestations of IPV in general, I suggest looking at a domestic violence “Power and Control Wheel.”

PLAYING WITH FIRE: A Short Story by: Shamaria Bell

I stare at the thermostat. Is 73 too hot? Do I sweat in this room? Do the walls melt from the things they hear? If I was a child panting from the constant climbing of the slide, adrenaline would heat me up. I would be happy to pick wood chips out of my socks. I would be happy to feel the now warm metal against my back. I will feel the sun go down and know it’s time to go in. One more time. One more time. One more time. How would I make this last time last? Without scraping my knee, without the burn from my thighs, I will stand four foot tall at the top of the playground and smile while gasping for air“Are you not hot?”

Raeann Koehler

I jerk out of my thoughts and turn around. I don’t back up against the wall. I know better than that. I don’t approach them. I know better than that. I stare for a second before I catch my words. “I was just about to ask you. I wasn’t sure if 73 was too hot?” My voice does falter a bit at the

end. I internally shake my head as they externally shake their head. “You can’t decide for yourself? Move.” They slightly push me to the side. I count my blessings. I stand there and fold my arms. Perhaps it is cold. I take one step as a test. I keep moving one foot in front of the other before hitting the kitchen linoleum. I look out the window to the backyard. My partner’s husky is panting outside. I scoff and look away. I told him it’s too hot for this dog. Moving to a Southern town was a finance issue. Apparently we couldn’t afford to stay near my family. Well, I could but they couldn’t. I loved my job. The company had bagels in the staff room on Fridays with strawberry cream cheese. I would snag some for my little boy, Marcus. He loves it on plain white bread. He says the bagels are too thick, they hurt his jaw after the night of the Patriots game. A Sunday Night bonding activity became a lesson in crying over a loss. They were also upset about the game but did he see them crying?

Did he cry into the popcorn bowl as he around. I look in the backseat. Marcus washed it in tears? Hit then dismissed. is looking at the house with the same Classic Troy, right? Strong, strong Troy. blank look. Even at eight-years-old he cannot muster the courage to even preMy cubicle neighbor would peek tend to be excited for that grueling 13over with a smile except when they hour ride. would double take to the black eye. “Are you okay?” She would ask. SipI jolt back to the present as I look ping on a fresh cup, piping. Steam fills around the kitchen. I had a stew goher glasses. I’m glad. I don’t want her to ing. Perhaps it isn’t the weather for it. I see the full story. She hasn’t noticed the look around the house and I do not see bruise marks on my upper arm or the myself here. The stew is low, just startslight tear in the lip. ing to burn. I peek into the living room “Yeah. I…” I trail off. I thought the and see Troy preparing to leave. concealer was too light. Just a touch in the wrong shade. I didn’t plan this re“I’m going to the bar with Tim. sponse. Turn that pot off. It’s already hot as hell in this house.” He doesn’t grab the keys “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell and my heart jumps. me.” Tim is picking them up. I wish she allowed me to. The news is on. There’s a forest fire We moved before her wedding. She in the west. The commentary is loud pouted as she hugged me goodbye. A enough that I sneak into the living single tear rolled down my cheek. She room. I picked up a pack of matchpulls back and laughs slightly. She’s cry- es and the spare change. I pocket it. I ing herself. We smile at each other as walk back to the kitchen. I count. we wipe the tears away. 73 cents. Troy is standing there leaning against the open trunk. Their expresI chuckle at the idea of running. 73 sion is not quite blank but stern. Un- cents to my name. As if. I go upstairs to telling. My coworker squeezes my hand check on Marcus. He’s at his desk makand commands my attention back. She ing paper balls from sticky notes. He’s gives me a nod and walks to her car. not supposed to do that. It’s a waste of As the sound of her keys retreat, I hear paper. The trashcan is filled. I knock at a trunk close. I take my cue and turn the door.

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my little boy. “Come in.” I sling the small duffle bag over my He knows it’s me because Troy nev- shoulder. I ran into the master’s beder asks. room to collect my cards. Anything of importance. Anything that I wouldn’t “What are you doing?” I ask with a burn. small smile. He looks up and shrugs. I walk over to him and meet him at eye I return to his room and he’s ready. level. His bag looks empty. He doesn’t have many due to the high maintenance of “I need you to pack your favorite lego pieces. The risk of Troy or I steptoys and clothes in your backpack. And ping on one was far too great. I glance we’re going to the fire station.” I can tell back to the trash can and I think of he’s confused. I can smell the stew start Marcus. to burn more. It peaks my attention. I turn back to Marcus. Well this isn’t a good example of fire safety to set. “Mommy is about to make a big choice and I want you to help me. I dig in my pocket and I strike a Don’t you want to come?” match into the trash can. The top sticky He nods. I wish I could make this note quickly catches the flame. Marcus more fun. Maybe lie and say this is an gasps and I look at him as his eyes are adventure; a quick car ride through the big with worry. He begins to tear up. I tri-state area and back. move to his eye level to comfort. I pull him into a hug. Marcus is not stupid. He may be “I know. I know. It’s okay. It’s ten and according to Troy hard-headed okay.” I rub his back and I feel him give but I know he’s gained just as much in- a heaving sob. stinct. Just as much skill. “We’re gonna get in trouble again, I walk out of the room and get my Mommy.” He mutters out. packed suitcase from the cleaning supplies closet. Troy never touched this “No we won’t.” closet. It’s been my saving grace for numbers of co-workers, foods I’m not “We are!” He yells! He pushes allowed to eat and alcohol. Hiding it me back slightly and I see snot rungets me a beating but it’s better than ning down his nose and tears soaking

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the dog’s mouth shut, forcefully silencing him.

“I promise!” He pauses to look at me. He wipes his tears away but the “Stop! You’re gonna make Mommy attempts are futile. mad.” Marcus warns. I grimace. “We’re not coming back.” My voice cracks. I look over the trash can and see it’s quickly picking up speed. I give him a big hug and kiss on the top of his head. I nod to him, give him a last comforting touch.

“No, no. It’s okay baby. We don’t have to worry about that. We’re gonna go somewhere nice and safe, okay?” I rush to buckle him in as I worriedly look around me. I can hear the alarm going off inside.

I grab his hand and I unknowingly yank on his arm. He winced a bit but I was so excited. I nearly fell down the stairs. This is my chance. I grab the keys and quickly move to the back door.

I run to the front seat and fumble with the keys as my hands shake. The anxiety is starting to hit but I still hit the gas and peel off. I punch in the address to the furthest McDonald’s possible. I look at the backseat and Marcus is turned around looking out the window. He isn’t crying. He’s almost smiling. He sits back down correctly, fastening his seatbelt back. I put on my own and dig out sunglasses from the glove box. And I laugh.

I try to call the dog forward but he won’t budge. I swear, my heart beating on my chest. I rush for the leash at the front door, praying Troy doesn’t forget something and return. I hook the dog’s collar and clamor back into the kitchen. I glance at the clock. 6:48. An hour and some change before happy hour is I laugh from my gut. Marcus over at the local bar down the street. looks a bit shocked before opening his mouth. I jog through the living room to the foyer and open the door. The sky is “Where are we going?” He quesfilled with rays of sunshine through or- tions. ange clouds. I look to my left and right for any lingering neighbors coming I chuckle. home from work. Marcus trails me as we walk to the car and throw the items “When’s the last time you’ve been in haphazardly. Juniper barks. I shush on a playground?” him. I watch as Marcus goes to close

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THE GUARDIANS

LAISSEZ LES BO

OF NOLA’S SPIRIT:

ON TEMPS ROULEZ

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EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A MUSE: Operation Shoe Fairy to the Rescue by: Adelaide La Torre

Alysia Loshbaugh

“Women can change the world. Women are so powerful. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t remember hearing about any of the male-dominated krewes doing anything like this during the pandemic. It was the women.” The Krewe of Muses became a New Orleans staple during Mardi Gras 2001. This all-women krewe left its heel-print on the city with their signature throw and coveted hand-decorated shoes, all of which are meticulously crafted in-between Mardi Gras (or as non-New Orleanians call it—the rest of the year). These shoes have quickly become one of the most coveted Mardi Gras throws on par with Zulu’s coconuts and the chalices of King Arthur. According to kreweofmuses.org, the Muses are (aptly) named after the nine daughters of Zeus in Greek mythology who were said to be the goddesses of the arts and sciences. The Muses have elevated the craft of Mardi Gras through their cleverness, creativity, and compassion. In 2021, the historic “year without a Mardi Gras,” these resourceful women took their

sadness and turned it into hope and help for their struggling community. I had the privilege of interviewing the Krewe of Muses founder and captain Staci Rosenberg and renowned expert shoe decorator Alysia Loshbaugh about this journey. Rosenberg and Loshbaugh also had the great assistance of epidemiologist Susan Hassig, a krewe member, helping them make informed decisions. Compassion was key when deciding what Mardi Gras would look like during a pandemic. Rosenberg, Muses captain and founder, recalled, “A lot of women started making shoes, hoping there was going to be a parade. And then when they realized it wasn’t going to happen, they kind of stopped. But we told them no! We’re going to need your shoes!” To Rosenberg’s great joy, the Muses worked harder than ever before. “They were by far the best shoes I’ve ever seen,” In addition to these efforts, the Muses developed three programs, each targeting a different human need during the pandemic (financial stability, joy, and gratitude) to prop up

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struggling New Orlineanians by way of glitter-covered heels. The first program, “Stilotto,”- was created to help local businesses survive the financial hardship they have suffered since the beginning of the pandemic. Many New Orleans businesses earn a large portion of their annual income from Mardi Gras season as parades and festivities draw tourists from around the world. Moreover, businesses in general across the world shuttered permanently at unprecedented rates during the pandemic. The Muses wanted to help local businesses stay alive and prevent New Orleans from losing any part of what makes it special. The krewe offered businesses along the normal Muses parade route a creative solution to bring customers to their stores. As Sue Stratchan revealed in “The Glittering Doesn’t Stop for Krewe of Muses,” in Uptown Messenger on January 20, 2021, Muses took their coveted shoes to the locations where patrons would be able to enter a raffle to win that shoe once a day, greatly increasing foot traffic in the stores as customers clamored to “get their feet'' into such a coveted work of art. To enter the raffle, customers had to make a purchase in a participating store on Muses’s traditional parade route and fill out the entry form. Customers could fill out one entry form daily at each participating business where they purchased an item. Not only did this encourage patronage to these iconic New Orleans businesses, but it also distributed a little glitter into the lives of New Orleans locals who were missing it so dearly. Rosenberg recalled,

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“We had a shockingly large number of entries - amounting to ten thousand total!” The Muses missed giving these shoes that they spent long hours creating to the New Orleans community. These incredible women do not join the krewe just for the fabulous outfits and parade floats. The human connection of giving a little piece of their heart in the form of a decorated shoe to parade-goers is the main reason they put so much effort into this krewe. One Muse, Alysia Loshbaugh, who is known far and wide for her incredibly creative heels, refused to give up that exchange of joy. Mardi Gras may have been canceled, but the people needed a smile more than ever, so she devised a plan called Operation Shoe Fairy. “Before the mayor had even officially announced that Mardi Gras would not be rolling, I just started thinking that I make shoes all year. I don’t just do it for the parade – I make them all year to use as gifts, and I donate them to charity events or for things like silent auctions. I’m a year-round shoemaker! I said- I think we should just give out shoes anyway; as long as we’re careful and take precautions we should just dress up in old costumes and wigs and ride around town and hand out shoes on Muse’s Thursday. Everyone just looked at me for a second like I was crazy and then they said, that’s the best idea ever. So we really tried to do our best to make lemonade out of lemons, and find our way to have Mardi Gras on our terms. It was amazing, it was really for the locals because the tourists didn’t come into town.” In Operation Shoe Fairy the Muse's

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took their fabulous creations along with them on the Thursday of Mardi Gras that the Muses traditionally roll and handed them out to New Orleanians who deserved a smile. “We knew if we just went to work on Muses Thursday and didn’t do anything to recognize the day that it was just going to be sad and depressing,” said Loshbaugh. “We really started doing it to make ourselves feel better, but once people started hearing about it in the two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, it caught fire; - that’s when I realized how much it meant to the city.” From streetcar drivers to a dishwasher taking out the garbage at Commander’s Palace, lucky New Orleanians received these fabulous surprises on a day when we were all missing that sparkle. Operation Shoe Fairy created an opportunity for many who might never receive a coveted shoe. It also gave participating Muses the interaction with their community that they had been missing so dearly over the past year while giving them more time than usual to interact with the person receiving this meaningful creation than if they had been on a moving float. Loshbaugh admitted, “When you’re on the float, you don’t really have that personal interaction with someone. It happens really fast - it’s not like you could have much of a conversation with people. But with Operation Shoe Fairy when you’re getting out of your car, running around Magazine Street, or wherever, you get to talk to peo-

ple. It was great. There was so much love, gratitude, and appreciation that we were trying to make Mardi Gras special even though it was not a real Mardi Gras.” The final program the Muses created to help fill the gap created by the year without a Mardi Gras was by far the most poignant. In “Heels for Healers,” Muses gifted healthcare workers high heeled shoes to thank them for the sacrifice and bravery they have shown every single day in this pandemic. The Muses not only presented shoes to those working directly with patients suffering from COVID-19, but they also made sure that shoes were available to all kinds of hospital workers at every single hospital in the area. From the janitorial staff who were keeping people safe by sanitizing the hospital to keep transmission as low as possible and save lives, to orderlies, nurses, and doctors. With these efforts, they tried to make sure that nobody’s sacrifice went unnoticed. While cities around the world have found their ways to thank healthcare workers for this unthinkable hardship they have endured every day of this pandemic, singing, clapping, or banging pots and pans from quarantine, the Muses knew that the right way to honor the New Orleanians who fought so hard to make sure New Orleans would have a future was to give them a piece of the New Orleanian spirit, a piece of Mardi Gras.

These impressive, compassionate programs were not all these Muses were up to this year. As cartoonist Bob Thaves famously said of Fred Astaire, “Sure he was great, but don’t forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did… backwards and in high heels.” Nothing could be truer of these Muses themselves who were experiencing these same COVID- era problems, as businesswomen, mothers, or even medical workers, while simultaneously helping their community! Feminism has always been key to this group from its’ inception, Rosenberg knew right away she wanted to create an all-woman krewe. “I knew from the beginning, so many other krewes were all men! A lot of them still are. . .. We just knew there weren’t a lot of opportunities for women. It seemed like it would just be fun, and kind of a challenge to the men that had plenty of opportunities.” As a spectator, it is hard not to notice the Muses are a common thread tying the amazing women that this city stands on the shoulders of together. There is something so intrinsic to Mardi Gras about this feminist aspect of their krewe that is also so intrinsic to womanhood- building each other up. In a normal parade year, you can always spot little girls with hand-glittered signs asking for a shoe of their own, their eyes widening as they see the women they could grow up to be. Those signs, Roseberg said, “really means everything to me. I love seeing

those signs, I love that they don’t even know of a time when there weren’t a number of krewes for women.” She recalled a conversation from years ago with a child who had been alive just about as long as Muses had been running, who said, ‘Me and my phone friends were saying if there was ever an all-male krewe, they should be called Mooses!’She absolutely had no idea that they were any parades that were just for boys. Although she knew Muses was only for women; she did not know that they were any that were only men. It means a lot.” Loshbaugh agrees. Her 12-year-old daughter already wants to join. “I would hope that she would have the same kind of experience I’ve had and bring with her the lesson of being supportive and not destructive in how you work with and treat other women. . . . I can only hope that they will embody the spirit and ideals that I have found with our krewe… I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t just want to lift women up, and not tear them down. I think that is one of the most important things that we can teach our young girls about womanhood as they grow up.” Captain Rosenberg expresses a similar sentiment. She always knew she wanted philanthropy to be a core aspect of the krewe. “That was really important to me from the earliest days. I think it’s become more common than it used to be, which is fabulous! A lot of krewes now have strong philanthropic arms.” Muses has partnered with many

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incredible local organizations like Project Lazarus. Recently, Muses raffled off three pieces from their stunning house float for Hagar's House, a local sanctuary for women and children, and raised $23,000 for the Louisiana hospitality foundation through a shoe auction. Loshbaugh was drawn to the Muses as a spectator through her love of shoes and the humor of the parade: “satirical without being cruel.” Only as a member, did she learn what they do to give back to the community, “One of the things I love most about this krewe is… they are some really amazing women. I have yet to meet anybody who doesn’t want to help prop a sister up and help women achieve their goals. Too often I think women tend to tear each other down and I have not seen that in this krewe. We have developed a sisterhood.” As Muse’s new community outreach coordinator, Loshbaugh is heading a monthly initiative called Thirsty Thursdays. Each month Muses will have a social event at a local venue to benefit a different charity. In November, they raised money for a 16-yearold refugee from Afghanistan to start a life in New Orleans and contribute to her education. Rosenberg said it just makes sense. “In many ways having a parade, where we are just throwing things into the street giving people trinkets and gifts is clearly giving something in a community but it feels like doing a lot more when you’re working directly with charities”.

Loshbaugh finds great joy and inspiration in how women have responded to the crises of COVID-19 by developing innovative ideas to uplift their communities. “Women can change the world. Women are so powerful. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t remember hearing about any of the male-dominated krewes doing anything like this during the pandemic. It was the women. We can change the world, we can enact social change, and [we] can be so incredibly powerful and impactful if we work together and have the right message.”

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A YEAR WITHOUT A PARADE: How Megan Boudreaux and the Krewe of House Floats Saved Mardi Gras! by: Adelaide La Torreza

Megan Boudreaux

“Obviously we’re a tourist town and we love visitors and we love to host and welcome people and show them what’s great about New Orleans, but I think sometimes it’s nice to have the reminder ‘But we live here’! Mardi Gras is for us, and our culture is for us . . .” As Mardi Gras 2022 approached one couldn’t help but think back on last year's celebrations–or lack thereof! With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, parades were banned from the city of New Orleans, and citizens were challenged to reconsider what really makes this city so special without its famous season of decadence and debauchery. One such resident, Megan Boudreaux, sent out a tweet as a joke suggesting that New Orleans should just have Mardi Gras from home, and create “house floats.” Before she knew it, she had changed the face of Mardi Gras forever. Boudreaux later recalled: “You open your big mouth and all of the sudden you’re running a Mardi Gras Krewe!” The Krewe of House Floats founder Megan Boudreaux, sat down for an

interview with the Loyola University New Orleans’ Women's Resource Center’s talk show, “At the Intersection” in April of 2021 to discuss the impact of the new krewe on the city. As to how this fabulous idea struck her, Meghan said, “The universe just kind of had me in the right place at the right time! The timing of the surprise announcement about the parade cancellation… it really sounds cliche and too contrite to be real but… It really was like I just made a silly joke on Twitter that kind of stuck in the back of my brain. It was like… this could be good… we could do this! Right place, right time.” She originally intended the krewe to be… a bit more intimate! Just neighbors and a few friends finding a way to celebrate Mardi Gras in a COVID-safe way, but she underestimated just how much New Orleanians, as a whole, were craving that same normality. “It was such a rollercoaster immediately,” she recalled. “I think within 48 hours it was clear that it was bigger than I thought it was going to be.” After nearly a year of isolation, New Orleanians, who by nature tend to be particularly

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social people who not only revel in carnival season, but in the myriad of festivals and parades and social events that are the fabric of the Big Easy, flocked to the burgeoning Krewe of House Floats with a flurry of enthusiastic ideas. Some 2,000 people joined immediately. Boudreaux recalled, “I think to a certain extent it was probably for the best if there wasn’t a lot of time to think about it! It was like, just do it, run with it! . . . Everybody was so desperate for something positive, some good news, something to plan for and look forward to. In retrospect I probably shouldn’t have been so surprised… at the time it was just a complete onslaught of overwhelm… in a good way!” Boudreaux and the krewe members also debated what would an at-home Mardi Gras mean for a city that relies so heavily on the income and joy of the Mardi Gras season? Could this project mean more to the city than fabulous decorations alone? At the center of the whirlwind of ideas emerged a consensus to create an “avenue where the existence of the Krewe of House Floats itself would be helpful to the piece of the Mardi Gras economy.” The krewe prided itself on supporting local businesses, all of whom were impacted by the pandemic. Creating the house floats contributed to local art supply stores because participating residents had a reason to shop again to decorate floats. Some members hired float artists to create pieces for their homes, which

provided gig work for many artists. It was important to the krewes leaders that this was not an exclusive party only wealthy New Orleanians could afford. “People wanted to help their neighbors, to contribute in any way they could.” They were determined to ensure that anyone who wanted to participate, regardless of their economic circumstances, could join the celebration. Thus, the krewe started art pantries around the city so that creating a house float was accessible to all, especially in light of the financial toll COVID has taken on residents. Boudreaux remarked, “We had hits and misses then… but lots of ideas for how to make it as inclusive as possible, and I think we really want to carry that forward. As we go on to years where the parades will be back and Mardi Gras will be normal again. That’s still really a core part of the krewe. We don’t want there to be a monetary barrier or a social barrier or a neighborhood barrier. You don’t even have to be in New Orleans.” It was also important to the krewe to support culture bearers in New Orleans, the people that make this city, and carnival season, as special as it is. Krewe leaders and members wanted to do more than decorate. To that end, the krewe sought out some incredible community partners, including Culture Aid NOLA, who they worked with to create community fridges and pantries in neighborhoods around the city to

support those experiencing food insecurity. The krewe also partnered with the New Orleans Musician’s Clinic as musicians and marching bands were hit hard by the pandemic and canceled parade season. Boudreaux commented, “It was really important to choose to work with [Culture Aid NOLA] because they have those relationships and the respect of New Orleans culture bearers. You know–we’re not trying to exploit anybody, we’re not trying to do disaster porn here! We’ve been through Katrina. We don't need to do that again! But, we really wanted to make sure that we had the biggest impact we could have, and it helped that we had so many eyeballs on us.” Boudreaux also knew that New Orleanians are resilient and innovative people because they have overcome many great challenges. “As much as it irritated me how much everybody wanted to compare COVID and Katrina,” Boudreaux said, she did see some connections. “Katrina was a hard lesson for New Orleans about ‘hey we got a save ourselves.’ Unfortunately. I think in some ways we were better equipped to say ‘yeah, all right: step up and help your neighbors. We got to do what we got to do.’ You know, no one else is coming.” So New Orleanians rose up and made their own special Mardi Gras that not only uplifted the spirit, but the economy. House floats emerged all over the city, and residents could view them as they strode through

their own neighborhoods each day or as they took a special trip in their cars or streetcars to visit other neighborhoods full of house floats. To the great joy of New Orleanians, in 2022, carnival season parades and balls returned to the city. That does not mean; however, that the Krewe of House Floats shut down. Rather, the krewe has found ways to not only persist, but expand its role. Boudreaux emphasized that the year without street parades “really brought to light” the struggles many residents confront during carnival season and beyond. Boudreaux loves “Mardi Gras routines and traditions . . . it’s a huge part of why living here is so appealing because it really creates community.” Yet she also noted that the year without street parades “showed ways that there are still gaps that we can fill, whether that is accessibility for the elderly or folks who are homebound or ill.” For example, she noted, “if you’re in a wheelchair trying to go to a Mardi Gras parade is really difficult. Navigating New Orleans in a wheelchair is difficult to begin with on a normal day given the state of our streets and sidewalks.” The Krewe of House Floats received “a lot of feedback early on that this was a way that folks who had not been able to participate in Mardi Gras in a traditional way were able to do so from home, and we could kind of have the parade come to them. So I feel like we’ve got room to grow there.”

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show for ourselves and enjoy the parts of Mardi Gras that we love and appreciate without worrying about the crowds and you know people coming in from out of town…the expense or the traffic. Although we did have some of the traffic!” Boudreaux said in reference to the long lines of cars waiting to see some of the fabulous house floats last year. As for Mardi Gras 2022, many residents participated once again in transforming their homes into house floats! It is truly remarkable that some 165 years after the first Mardi Gras parade, the carnival season still has room to grow and improve so much. One simple idea-a protest against losing the happiness of the city during a time of struggle–might just have changed the face of Mardi Gras forever. The Krewe of House Floats serves as a fabulous reminder as to what Mardi Gras is truly about- celebrating culture and community. Culture is a growing and evolving thing, and it is a gift to be able to adapt the joy New Orleanians bring to the city with each new heartache the city confronts. New Orleanians are reminded that like this krewe–its whole community can do incredible, creative work to show love for one’s neighbor, to uplift one another, to sustain the communal spirit, and to serve as the guardians of Nola’s celebratory spirit.

Raeann Koehler

Boudreaux also noted that while historically Mardi Gras parades occurred in neighborhoods throughout the city, it has become strictly contained to a few routes, excluding most of the city from a front-porch seat on the parade route. House floats are the solution to this problem. Yet Boudreaux refused to be content with this development. She remains interested in expanding the reach of the Krewe of House Floats. ”I think that we have a lot of work to do to reach out to the folks that don’t have the internet,” Boudreaux said. “One of the coolest things to see was that map with thousands of houses and people participating. But they were blank spots! There were parts of the city that we did not reach last year just from those constraints that we had, and I think that we really want to work to make sure that we continue to work towards that inclusive idea that we have set for ourselves.” Boudreaux concluded that she hopes that house floats will remain a love letter to New Orleans from the city itself. “Obviously we’re a tourist town and we love visitors and we love to host and welcome people and show them what’s great about New Orleans, but I think sometimes it’s nice to have the reminder ‘But we live here’! Mardi Gras is for us, and our culture is for us, and we want to share it. But I think that was a huge part of the feedback that I got back from this past Mardi Gras. It was really nice to put on the

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AN ODE TO WO

OMEN

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THE WOMEN: An Essay by: Morgan Love

Raeann Koehler

As I stand in front of the fashion boutique in the downtown square, I can’t help but to envision the slender mannequin in the window as my mother. She stands tall, showcasing herself to the world as a piece of art. Her power reaches far and wide and I have the blessing of being her daughter. She can be seen from every tiny household in the square, every building along the street, every car that passes by— she can be seen from everywhere you could possibly imagine. The mannequin wore a ruby red dress that was lined in a white thread. The dress was made of a satin-like fabric and flowed down the pale figure in waves. The sleeves of the dress circled around its arms and stopped just above the crease of the elbow. The most lively piece of the dress is the neckline. The dress dipped softly below the collarbone and wrapped around the neck. The dress is absolutely beautiful and should be in every woman’s closet.

en. She is a lively woman, vibrant in all ways. Her closet is full of hues of red, orange, and yellow. There are some hints of blue and touches of teal, but those items are worn during Spring only. She believes in anything that can make women feel good about themselves and vibrant colors are included in that list. The first time she taught me about the value of women, I was in elementary school. For ten years, Simmons Walt Elementary School was majority male, with a 10:2 ratio. That was until girls started to dominate the school. I was in the first grade when a boy told me he was better than me as he pushed me off the swing set that was barely holding me in. That day, the levees behind my eyes broke and I cried like hell. Ms. Ella, my art teacher, did everything she could to calm me down, but the embarrassment and inferiority I felt consumed me. Eventually, my mother was called, and she took me home right away. She sat me down on the couch and held A smile slid its way onto my face. me. Her warmth wrapped around me like a soft blanket. I have forever clung My mother is one of those wom- to that feeling ever since. As she held

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me, she whispered in my ear, “You are worthy and deserving of everything you do and want to do.” I pulled back from her with stains of my tears on my warm cheeks. Somehow she knew what happened and knew exactly what to say. I think that’s one of her superpowers. Do all mothers read minds? I laid my head back onto her shoulder and squeezed her hard. “He told me he was better than me. It’s because I’m a girl?” My mom stared at me with sadness in her eyes, but it was soon replaced with a look of determination. She wiped my face and sat me up straight, “Don’t ever let anyone make you feel like you are beneath them. You are beneath nobody. You are strong, beautiful, and will grow up to be so much more. You are young, so young. Remember that you are deserving. You deserve a life you want and desire to live. Do you understand me?” I stared at her with awe and slowly nodded my head. I am deserving. That day has always stuck with me. It is a day I will ever forget. I came back to my senses and walked into the boutique. I needed a better look at the mannequin.

as I saw a coffee mug with the saying “I am that Mom” on it. That’s something I’d like to drink from one day. The boutique was pretty big so I took my time to look around. I remember a time when my mom took me shopping for my freshman year of high school. Those memories have stuck with me till this day. We were in JCPenny, a store that had relatively nice clothes for cheap. I went there with the intention of getting clothes to make me look average; I wanted to blend in. My mom started picking my clothes for me after a while as I was only getting basic T-shirts and regular wash jeans. My mom picked up vibrant sundresses and various colors of shorts and shirts. She got me a few jackets, and topped it all off with a few cute pairs of sandals. The wardrobe was not me. She noticed my uncomfortableness and looked at me with amusement in her eyes. “Don’t think you can pull it off? “ “I don’t know. It’s not really... stuff I wear...I guess.” She let out a laugh and started browsing through the clothes rack in front of her, “Reagan, when a woman walks into *** a room with her head held high and is At the time, I was still shopping at feeling her most confident, it is because Zara and H&M, but the boutique was she knows she looks good. When you filled with feminine clothes that ranged look good, you feel good. These clothes from designer ripped jeans to Europe- will make you feel even more pretty an-style skirt suits. I let out a soft laugh than you already are. Those dresses are

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definitely going to get you thousands of compliments. Just wait until you see how it looks on you.” I smiled. I took another look at the clothes and felt excited to try them on. She told me the secret to being a confident woman that day. Now, in my own life as a woman, I make sure to pamper myself and wear the clothes that make me feel good. All women deserve to boast their beauty and hold their heads high for the world to see. I found a dress that I knew my mom would love. It was lavender and touched the ground with pockets on the side. I made my purchase, gave the boutique and the mannequin one last look, and headed to my mothers house for dinner.

worthy and capable of anything. I walked into the kitchen and went to grab a roll out of the basket to the right of her. “Now, why can’t you wait until dinner is finished? I’m almost done. Go sit down.” I laughed before quickly grabbing a roll and dashing out of the kitchen. She yelled as I made my way into the living room to escape. I was laughing whilst eating the roll and continued to watch her. She was the woman that taught me about women. She was the woman that made me the woman I am. She is the woman I want to be. The woman.

The house smelled of boiled steak and starch from rice. I inhaled the scent and was delighted to see the woman who had captured my mind for the last hour. I made my way to the living room and saw her cooking with our dog, Bessie, laying at her feet. I watched her with a smile and felt a sense of gratefulness flood my stomach. She has taught me how valuable I am in the world and how valuable women are in the world. We are strong humans who are capable of doing anything. I remember days when being a woman was hard, but then her words will slip into my mind and I remember I am

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Monica Vega Rosado (next)

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