New Orleans is one of the most culturally and racially mixed cities in the South, with a majority Black population, a growing Hispanic community, and deep historical roots in African, French, Spanish, and Caribbean cultures — all of which continue to shape its food, music, architecture, and identity.
We’ve been on vacation this week, and as I write this I’m relaxing with coffee in a New Orleans hotel on the last full day of our trip.
Hanging out in New Orleans, specifically in the French Quarter, you get a crash course on the real diversity of cultures that have been slow-cooking in that melting pot boomers were taught to appreciate as a source of American strength, now reviled by the hopefully temporary powers-that-be as a stewpot filled with depravity and malice. This from some of the most depraved and malicious “powers” ever to “be” in positions of leadership – their villainy would be comical if it wasn’t so destructive.
But New Orleans reminds me how wrong they are, how the “melting pot” narrative of our American evolution understood the power of hybrid vigor in the mixing of cultural flows. Our culture prioritized rainbows over monochrome darkness, increasingly so, until recently.
Other than the amazing food, the best part of our visit has been simply wandering the streets, appreciating the diverse crowds and explosions of creativity – street art and street bands, mostly. And noting the inherently friendly and helpful vibe here.