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NOLA.com Names HNOC Historian Jari Honora as 2025 “Louisianan of the Year”

January 5, 2026

The family historian and certified genealogist received the honor for his work connecting the pope’s heritage to the state’s history and culture.

Jari Honora, HNOC Family Historian
Photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com | The Times Picayune
NOLA.com / The Times Picyaune
“In 2025, there were plenty of Louisianans who made important contributions, but no other Louisianan had the kind of global impact that reminded us why our state and its unique place in history matter. . . . A certified genealogist and one of only three Black genealogists in the country to achieve that rank, Honora isn’t just looking at the family trees of celebrities. He has helped many families around the state learn about their roots—particularly those who have questions about their Creole heritage.”

Editorial staff, NOLA.com | The Times Picayune

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Jari Honora 2025 Louisianan of the Year: NOLA.com | The Times Picayune Download Download

Further Reading

Check out our First Draft blog post about Jari’s discovery of Pope Leo XIV’s Louisiana heritage.

First Draft

From the French Quarter to the Vatican

Shortly after Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the first American pope, HNOC’s Jari C. Honora uncovered a surprising New Orleans connection, revealing the pontiff’s maternal grandparents to be Creoles of color from the Seventh Ward. 

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A boy in white lay garments leads a church procession down the street, followed by other boys in white lay garments wearing crucifixes and holding chalices.

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First Draft

What’s the Difference Between Cajun and Creole—Or Is There One?

The answers are tied up in race, class, language, and, of course, history.

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First Draft

Creole Chic

Along with food and music, fashion was used by Louisiana Creoles to declare and express their unique identity.

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Mother St. Croix Photographs of Ursuline Convent

The ebullient nun documented her cloisters, sisters, and pupils with care and skill. In doing so she became the earliest known woman to photographically record daily life in New Orleans

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Announcement

New Orleans Jazz Museum to Screen Award-Winning Documentary Made with HNOC Support

March 17, 2026
“What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile” was named 2026 Humanity Documentary of the Year by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.
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HNOC, OperaCreole, and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra presented Musical Louisiana 2025 at St. Louis Cathedral.
HNOC in the News

Gambit: Musical Louisiana Concert Highlights Works of Underrecognized Creole Composers

March 2, 2026
Get an in-depth preview of HNOC’s upcoming “Echoes of Innovation” concert (March 4), with commentary from museum staff and community partners.
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A boy in white lay garments leads a church procession down the street, followed by other boys in white lay garments wearing crucifixes and holding chalices.
HNOC in the News

NPR: Why Black Catholics in New Orleans Feel a Special Connection to Pope Leo XIV

June 5, 2025
HNOC family historian Jari Honora spoke with “All Things Considered” about the new pope’s Creole ancestry and what it means for residents of the 7th Ward.
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Afro-Creole Poetry in French from Louisiana’s Radical Civil War–Era Newspapers

translated and introduced by Clint Bruce
with a foreword by Angel Adams Parham

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