According to Carnival historian Errol Laborde, Krewe Bohème is another example of the leadership role that women are taking in carnival. In recent years women have led most of the new organizations. Laborde added that he likes the name Bohème in that it fits in with the artistic character of both Carnival and the Marginy/French Quarter neighborhood. He also noted that the idea of a green fairy as a monarch is especially clever. “It is an insider’s joke,” he noted, “but one worth bringing to light.” Laborde continues, “green fairy” was a nickname given to absinthe, the potent, anise-flavored liqueur used in many of the city’s early cocktails. He said Bohème follows in the tradition of artists parades originally established in the 1970s by the Krewe of Clones. The group, which was based at the then new Contemporary Arts Center, established the small-scale walking parade with miniature floats. The Krewe du Vieux would carry on Clone’s legacy. In the traditions of Carnival, Laborde said, “ideas have a way of re-evolving, each adding its own new touches.”

The First 72+ is, at its core, a community of people who first showed up to get help, but then turned right back around to be there for the people they grew up with, the people they did time with. THE FIRST 72+ WAS FOUNDED ON ONE GUIDING PRINCIPLE – “US HELPING US.” With over 100 years of collective experience in prison on the founding team, the First 72+ builds off of the experiences of Formerly Incarcerated People (FIP) to help others transition out of prison and build for the future. Founded by six men who have all personally experienced the criminal justice system and helped one another upon release, our organization aims to stop the cycle of incarceration that has lead Louisiana to having the highest per capita prison population in the world. According to statistics compiled by the Louisiana Department of Corrections one out of every two people released from prison in Louisiana will return within five years. There are currently more people returning to prison than entering for the first time, and although there are 15,000 people released annually there are very few re-entry services across the state of Louisiana – and a particularly limited number of services in New Orleans. Most people being released depend heavily on friends and family, but many people coming home do not have the family and friends they need for necessary support.

She Comes in Peace is a Costume Shop, Hair Salon and More! Discover a world of creativity at She Comes in Peace – your one-stop destination for costume inspiration, expert hair styling, and beyond.

Tennessee Williams said it best himself “America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.”