NB: There is much to say about our trip to post-Katrina New Orleans and I hope to blog about some of it soon, but I have barely assimilated it emotionally. While cruising the internet for information about the city, its history, Katrina, etc I came across this amazing site http://www.katrinadinner2006.com where someone had written a Katrina "seder" to be held in New Orleaneans homes wherever they might be in their "diaspora" on August 29th. It is a powerful piece, and resonant for me, as I think about the Jewish seder coming up. About half of the pre-Katrina population of New Orleans is still living elsewhere.
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On Sunday, after walking 13 miles through New Orleans , completing the half marathon in exactly the same time as we did in Anchorage in June, we were invited by Sandra's friend Andrea to join her at a "parade." Since it was still only 10:30 a.m.(the race started at 7 ), we figured that would be a relaxing way to spend the afternoon, sitting in a lawn chair on the sidewalk watching a parade. I heard something about "second line" but not knowing what that was, we gamely headed for the 6th ward in Andrea's car.
Following the sound of the brass band, Andrea tracked down the parade and parked on a side street. When we reached the parade itself we noticed there were no lawn chairs. In fact, there were no people on the sidewalk. We then understood what a "second line" was.
So, on top of our marathon, we also got to spend a few more hours "second lining" with Andrea who is a regular at these events, friendly with many of the participants, and actually a member of one of the Social and Pleasure groups, although not the particular one organizing this parade.
The following explanation comes from the internet:
Second line parades are the descendants of the city’s famous jazz funerals and, apart from a casket, mourners and a cemetery visit, they carry many of the same traditions with them as they march down the streets. There are dozens of different second line parades put on throughout the year, usually on Sunday afternoons, and held in neighborhoods all across the city. They range in size, level of organization and traditions, but in all cases they will include a brass band, jubilant dancing in the street and members decked out in a wardrobe of brightly colored suits, sashes, hats and bonnets, parasols and banners, melding the pomp of a courtly function and the spontaneous energy of a block party, albeit one that moves a block at a time.
The term “second line” refers to those who join in the rolling excitement. The people who are part of the hosting organization are the “first line” of the parade (at a jazz funeral, this would be family members of the deceased, the hearse and band) while those who follow it along, dancing and often singing as they go, form what is known as the “second line.” Second lining can also refer to the type of dancing that usually goes on at these parades – a wild, strutting dance step to carry participants forward in pace with the brass band – so one can go to a second line, be in a second line and do the second line all at once. (we did not do the dance, just walked.)
Second lines trace their roots back to the 19th century and the fraternal societies and neighborhood organizations that collectively provided insurance and burial services to members, especially among the African American community. These organizations began hosting parades as neighborhood celebrations, to advertise their services and to honor members who had died. Note, too, that Mardi Gras was off limits for blacks in New Orleans until the sixties, since it took place in the French Quarter, which was all white.
As racial segregation slowly dissolved and insurance and other services became available to black New Orleanians from mainstream providers, the social aid aspect of these organizations diminished. The groups themselves persisted, along with their parades, and today new organizations continue to form with the primary purpose of holding a parade on Sunday afternoons and letting the good times roll.
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