(C) Verite News New Orleans This story was originally published by Verite News New Orleans and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The politics of Mardi Gras [1] ['Robert Collins', 'More Robert Collins', 'Verite News'] Date: 2024-02-06 Most people see the Carnival season as several weeks of entertainment leading up to Mardi Gras Day. However, for more than 150 years, the event has also served the agendas of New Orleans political and business leaders. Mardi Gras is a worldwide event with a history dating back hundreds of years to Medieval Europe. However, the New Orleans version was a local event prior to 1872, conducted by old-line krewes such as Comus, primarily to entertain their own members. There were public parades, but these were intended for local citizens, not tourists, and were held at night, in a time before electric streetlights. This suppressed attendance by visitors. After the Civil War, New Orleans suffered from the tensions of Reconstruction, which resulted in a depressed economy. In 1872, a group of businessmen decided what the city needed was a day parade, advertised as a public party, with the goal of bringing tourists into the city to spend money. They named their parade Rex. The parade monarch became known as King of Carnival, and the ritual of the mayor, as political leader of the city, turning over the city for Rex to rule on Mardi Gras, was born. The founders of Rex included several newspapermen, and they used their presses to advertise the parade to visitors, serving as an informal tourism commission. The parade was an immediate success, and the elected political leadership of the city eventually took over the role of promoting New Orleans as a tourist destination. Tulane economist Toni Weiss has conducted several studies on the Carnival season, and estimates its current indirect and direct annual economic impact on the New Orleans economy to be close to 900 million dollars. Since Mardi Gras became such a vital part of the city’s economy, it has on occasion become a political flashpoint. In 1979, the police union, locked in tense contract negotiations with Mayor Dutch Morial, attempted to pressure the city to give in to their demands by going on strike right before the Mardi Gras season. However, the union miscalculated, and the captains of all the Carnival krewes refused to be held hostage as bargaining chips. They all either canceled their parades or moved them to Jefferson Parish. The strike collapsed soon after. Another modern flashpoint happened in 1992. To receive a parade permit, krewe captains were required to sign an affidavit stating that their organizations did not discriminate based on race. The ordinance was authored by Councilwoman Dorothy Mae Taylor. Her argument was that Carnival krewes were not simply entertainment groups. They were also business groups where professionals came to negotiate deals. She argued that by excluding Black residents from a Carnival krewe, that krewe was excluding them from access to the same business opportunities enjoyed by white members. The ordinance was racially divisive and controversial. Old-line krewes Comus and Momus stopped parading, rather than sign the affidavit. They argued that the ordinance was a violation of freedom of association and First Amendment rights. Those krewes still hold balls. Rex and most other krewes complied with the ordinance and racial tensions eventually cooled. When looking at political activity, by far the most political Mardi Gras organization is the Mystic Krewe of Louisianians, which hosts the Washington Mardi Gras Ball in the nation’s capital. It was founded decades ago as a traditional ball for homesick Louisiana natives who were living in Washington D.C. because their jobs were there. In modern times, it evolved into a multi-day event where local politicians travel to D.C. to lobby members of Congress for funding, and business people go to network and build relationships for future deals. The position of krewe captain rotates among members of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation. Back in New Orleans, politicians routinely use Carnival season for political purposes. Many elected officials join Carnival krewes and use the membership as a fundraising and networking base for future campaigns. During election years, it is common to see political candidates moving through crowds during parades with their campaign volunteers, handing out custom-made plastic cups or beads or doubloons with the candidate’s name on it. Even during non-election years, politicians will make sure they are seen in parades by the crowds every year, riding in open convertible cars, or on horseback. Politicians love easy access to pre-existing crowds. Mardi Gras has been called “The Greatest Free Show on Earth.” For ambitious politicians, it is often seen as “The Greatest Free Campaign Rally on Earth.” Related Stories Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. [END] --- [1] Url: https://veritenews.org/2024/02/06/the-politics-of-mardi-gras/ Published and (C) by Verite News New Orleans Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/veritenews/