R
OYAL HEARTS The New Orleans area is synonymous with Mardi Gras and, of course, the many krewes that operate throughout the local community, keeping their fingers on the pulse of needs and issues that affect that community.
BY LIESEL SCHMIDT
For the past 36 years, the Krewe of Eve has been one of those communityminded krewes, involving themselves with many community projects and contributing to such organizations as the Greater Mandeville Police Foundation and The Food Bank in addition to helping with Habitat for Humanity’s Women's Build and being part of the D.A.R.E. convention. Clearly, they are much more than the beautiful parades for which they have become so well known.
As part of the krewe, Barbara and David Burns were elected to be king and queen in November of 2021, with a year of reign ahead of them. “We knew that we were going to be king and queen for quite a while before the announcement was finally made in November,” Barbara recalls. “It was really hard keeping that a secret! You know, and you want to share with family and friends because it’s so exciting and such an honor.” 30
SOCIAL NORTHSHORE
Celebrating their 35th anniversary a year late because COVID shut down the parades for an entire year, the Krewe of Eve is looking forward to once again operating at full strength, and the Burnses are happy to be part of that future and what it holds for their community. “Like everyone, I hope to see the pandemic in my rearview mirror,” says Barbara. “I would also like to see more programs for our young people that will keep them active and out of trouble. We also need to better our education system to provide our youth with the skills that will help to make them successful in life.” For Barbara, the youth of the community—and their education—is a passion. A retired teacher who began her teaching career in Morgan City and then returned to Hammond to teach Social Studies at various schools, Barbara eventually found her way to Southeastern Louisiana University, where she was a member of the History and Political Science faculty. She primarily lectured in Western Civilization and American History classes but also worked with
