Category: Youth

“Growing Up Latchkey: A Story of Two Sisters’ Independence in New Orleans”
Life, Memoir, New Orleans, Writing, Youth

“Growing Up Latchkey: A Story of Two Sisters’ Independence in New Orleans”

We were raised to appreciate the cultures that make New Orleans so eccentric and magical. When My Mama and Daddy was off they really made up for the time they spent away from us, especially My Mama. We frequented festivals, art museums, parks, fancy restaurants (I started eating raw oysters at 6yrs old) and random walks through the city. Even though we were raised Baptist, we visited churches of different denominations. Both my sister and I played the violin and other extracurricular activities. I was an honor roll student throughout high school. Yes, Growing Up in New Orleans as a Latch Key Kid in New Orleans riding on the Bus was was tough and scary at times, but knowing that I we were left alone for a greater purpose made it worth it. Continue reading “Growing Up Latchkey: A Story of Two Sisters’ Independence in New Orleans”

NOLA Street Bucket Drummer: Beats OF A NOLA Girl
Culture, Memoir, Music, New Orleans, Youth

NOLA Street Bucket Drummer: Beats OF A NOLA Girl

She looked confident as each stick hit its intended bucket as if she knew for sure that it would produce a beat that will get the crowd dancing. Joy and bashfulness took over her as the crowd grew thick. She was loving and living in the moment. I would say she enjoyed the sounds she created more than the group she captured. It was as if the beating of her heart was in sync with her very being. Her mind formed the music, hand and sticks flowed like blood to her heart and drum beating the tunes reminiscent of our ancestors playing in Congo Square. This little girl and the sticks and buckets are the lifelines to our New Orleans history. Her soulful beats echoed sounds of hope, possibility, and greatness for New Orleans’s future cultural bearers. Continue reading NOLA Street Bucket Drummer: Beats OF A NOLA Girl