After the Civil War, HBCUs pioneered Black education in America.
New Orleans Spirit: The Donald Harrison, Sr. Family Papers
No items found.
The Amistad Research Center is pleased to announce the acquisition of the family papers of long-time Mardi Gras Indian, Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr. The papers highlight the cultural contributions of the Harrison family of New Orleans, particularly the practice of masking in the Mardi Gras Indian tradition. Dating from 1977 to 2017, the collection is rich in ephemera and photographs covering lectures and performances by Donald Harrison Sr. and the Guardians of the Flame Mardi Gras Indians. Additionally, promotional materials for his son, saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr., and his grandson, trumpeter Christian Scott, are also part of the collection.
Donald Harrison Sr. (1933-1998), was a longtime Mardi Gras Indian and founder of the Guardians of the Flame tribe. Mr. Harrison was a former Big Chief of the Creole Wild West, Cherokee Braves, and White Eagles tribes before he organized the Guardians of the Flame in 1988. Harrison’s interest in the Mardi Gras Indian tradition stemmed from childhood after witnessing a street performance by Wild Man Herman Palmer of the Creole Wild West. His childhood found him following the neighborhood Uptown Indian tribes to learn the traditions, and he began beading outfits at age 12. He masked for the first time as an Indian for Carnival in 1949. He studied the history of indigenous communities and, while stationed at Fort Niagara in New York during the early 1950s, he frequently visited the Seneca reservation. During these visits, he learned ceremonial dances that he incorporated into his own performances.
As Big Chief of the Guardians of the Flame, he performed and lectured throughout the United States, and often visited local public schools to present the tradition to students. An avid lover of jazz, Harrison recorded with his son on Donald Harrison Jr.'s Indian Blues album, and also recorded with Percussion Incorporated and appeared on a WWOZ Radio compilation CD. He toured Europe, lecturing at a university in Germany, and performed with visiting groups from New Zealand and at an Academy Awards party in Los Angeles. In 1997, he was awarded the Mayor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Arts Council of New Orleans.
Harrison worked for the U.S. Postal Service for nine years, earning a Distinguished Service Award. He was also an executive board member and president of Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Employees Local Union No. 166. He is survived by his wife, Herreast J. Harrison; three daughters, Cherice Harrison-Nelson, Michele J. Harrison, and Cara Harrison; his son, Donald Harrison Jr.; a brother, Edwin F. Harrison Sr.; two sisters, Yvonne Combre and Gloria Lee; and four grandchildren.
Images from Amistad’s website, newsletters, and blogs cannot be reproduced without permission.
#MardiGrasIndians #AfricanAmericanmusicians #DonaldHarrisonSr #HarrisonFamily #Acquisitions
Explore More Articles
Kathe Hambrick is the Founder and former Executive Director of the River Road African American Museum (RRAAM), established in 1994 as Louisiana’s first African American Museum. She is a past President of the national Association of African American Museums (AAAM). She served as the Chief Curator and Director of Interpretation for the West Baton Rouge Museum for four years. Hambrick was born in New Orleans and spent half her life in California where she received an undergraduate degree in English and a minor in African American Studies from California State University Long Beach.
Hambrick is a Public Historian with a passion for collecting, preserving and interpreting history for diverse audiences. Her thirty-one-year career as a museum professional includes expertise in program development, interpretative planning, curation, grant writing, fundraising, and board governance. She led the effort to preserve three slave cemeteries and six historic buildings in Ascension Parish.
She is considered an expert on the history and culture of African Americans in communities along the Mississippi River. Kathe Hambrick’s interviews include local, national, and international media, the BBC Learning Channel, CBS Morning News, National Public Radio, and the New York Times. The consulting firm, 2PRESERVE was established by Hambrick in 2021 to provide cultural resources and guidance to corporations, museums, cultural centers, government agencies, and faith-based organizations.
Throughout her 31-year career, Kathe has curated over one hundred exhibits, including The Rural Roots of Jazz, African Influences on Louisiana Cuisine, Creole Du Monde, and The Square Collection which featured original art by Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, and Tina Allen. Her most recent exhibit is the GU272 of Ascension: The Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery.
Kathe is the author and co-author of several books:
Kathe Hambrick is the Founder and former Executive Director of the River Road African American Museum (RRAAM), established in 1994 as Louisiana’s first African American Museum. She is a past President of the national Association of African American Museums (AAAM). She served as the Chief Curator and Director of Interpretation for the West Baton Rouge Museum for four years. Hambrick was born in New Orleans and spent half her life in California where she received an undergraduate degree in English and a minor in African American Studies from California State University Long Beach.
Hambrick is a Public Historian with a passion for collecting, preserving and interpreting history for diverse audiences. Her thirty-one-year career as a museum professional includes expertise in program development, interpretative planning, curation, grant writing, fundraising, and board governance. She led the effort to preserve three slave cemeteries and six historic buildings in Ascension Parish.
She is considered an expert on the history and culture of African Americans in communities along the Mississippi River. Kathe Hambrick’s interviews include local, national, and international media, the BBC Learning Channel, CBS Morning News, National Public Radio, and the New York Times. The consulting firm, 2PRESERVE was established by Hambrick in 2021 to provide cultural resources and guidance to corporations, museums, cultural centers, government agencies, and faith-based organizations.
Throughout her 31-year career, Kathe has curated over one hundred exhibits, including The Rural Roots of Jazz, African Influences on Louisiana Cuisine, Creole Du Monde, and The Square Collection which featured original art by Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, and Tina Allen. Her most recent exhibit is the GU272 of Ascension: The Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery.
Kathe is the author and co-author of several books:
Kathe Hambrick is the Founder and former Executive Director of the River Road African American Museum (RRAAM), established in 1994 as Louisiana’s first African American Museum. She is a past President of the national Association of African American Museums (AAAM). She served as the Chief Curator and Director of Interpretation for the West Baton Rouge Museum for four years. Hambrick was born in New Orleans and spent half her life in California where she received an undergraduate degree in English and a minor in African American Studies from California State University Long Beach.
Hambrick is a Public Historian with a passion for collecting, preserving and interpreting history for diverse audiences. Her thirty-one-year career as a museum professional includes expertise in program development, interpretative planning, curation, grant writing, fundraising, and board governance. She led the effort to preserve three slave cemeteries and six historic buildings in Ascension Parish.
She is considered an expert on the history and culture of African Americans in communities along the Mississippi River. Kathe Hambrick’s interviews include local, national, and international media, the BBC Learning Channel, CBS Morning News, National Public Radio, and the New York Times. The consulting firm, 2PRESERVE was established by Hambrick in 2021 to provide cultural resources and guidance to corporations, museums, cultural centers, government agencies, and faith-based organizations.
Throughout her 31-year career, Kathe has curated over one hundred exhibits, including The Rural Roots of Jazz, African Influences on Louisiana Cuisine, Creole Du Monde, and The Square Collection which featured original art by Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, and Tina Allen. Her most recent exhibit is the GU272 of Ascension: The Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery.
Kathe is the author and co-author of several books: