THNOC is celebrating Black History Month throughout February with special guided tours of the Louisiana History Galleries that explore the history of free people of color in New Orleans. While both the French and Spanish authorities oversaw harsh regimes of enslavement in Louisiana, their colonial laws also granted property and legal rights to a growing population of free people of African descent in the 18th and 19th centuries. By 1830 gens de couleur libres (free people of color) represented over a third of the city’s population; however, the community faced increasingly stringent regulations and discrimination in the decades leading to the Civil War. This guided tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and covers the historic origins, cultural contributions, and events surrounding free people of color in New Orleans.

Tours are now sold out. Please stay tuned for future opportunities.