Black Activism and Resistance in New Orleans
Explore the political, social, and cultural forms of Black resistance in 18th and 19th century New Orleans.
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Capacity: 15 guests
Location: The Historic New Orleans Collection, French Quarter Galleries
The Civil Rights Movement in New Orleans did not begin in the 20th century. From the city’s founding, people of African descent have resisted oppression and shaped its history through resilience, creativity, and direct action. This tour moves through the French Quarter Galleries to trace that long history through the 18th and 19th century—introducing visitors to the political, social, and cultural forms Black resistance has taken here.
Optional Add-On
Treasures from the Vault: Visit the Williams Research Center for a show-and-tell of historic artifacts from our collection directly tied to New Orleans’s legacy of Black resistance.
Group Experiences
Discover the rich history and culture of New Orleans with a private group outing from the Historic New Orleans Collection.
Getting Here
HNOC’s museum is located at 520 Royal Street in the French Quarter, on Royal Street between Toulouse and St. Louis. Our Williams Research Center is located at 410 Chartres Street.
Related Stories
The Streetcar Protests of 1867
Two decades before the spread of Jim Crow segregation, African Americans in Reconstruciton-era New Orleans successfully fought to integrate public transportation.
In 1860s New Orleans, Black Activists Fought and Died for the Right to Vote
Nearly a century before the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Reconstruction-era actvisits won—then lost—Black male suffrage.
Related Collection Highlights
Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez Papers
A rare collection of manuscript essays and family correspondence offers a thrilling look at one of the most influential people in the early struggle for African American civil rights in Louisiana.
I Am the Black Woman
A rare series of 14 linocuts by Elizabeth Catlett carries her manifesto on behalf of Black American women.
American Black Directory
A post-segregation sibling to the Green Book, this directory compiled information on Black-owned businesses across the country.
Related Virtual Exhibitions
Voices of Progress: Twenty Women Who Changed New Orleans
Portraits of women who fought for equality, justice, and charity
“Yet She Is Advancing”: New Orleans Women and the Right to Vote, 1878–1970
The story of women’s suffrage, leading up to and beyond the passage of the 19th Amendment
Related Books
Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana
by Brian K. Mitchell, Barrington S. Edwards, and Nick Weldon
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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