Faculty Talks: Masked for Battle: Indian Culture Confronts COVID

Faculty Talks Outside the Box

Tiyi Morris, PhD, associate professor of African American and African studies
Virginia Cope, PhD, associate professor of English

Masked for Battle: Mardi Gras Indian Culture Confronts COVID

Sometimes called Black Indians, the Mardi Gras Indians are African Americans who mask (parade) in New Orleans during Carnival, wearing elaborate handmade suits of beads and feathers. Dating back to the mid-nineteenth century, the practice is deeply rooted in African traditions of dance and music. The Mardi Gras Indian culture reflects Black peoples' attempts to resist the psychic brutality of dehumanization and marginalization, and to create structures for individual and community development beyond their social, economic, and political confines. 

Morris and Cope will discuss the third of three documentaries they have produced in collaboration with Mardi Gras Indian groups in New Orleans. "Masked for Battle" chronicles the devastating impact of the pandemic on these legendary culture-bearers and their determination to persevere. 

This event is free and open to the public.