Latest news with #Creoles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Louisiana Creole Center hosts enrichment institute for teachers
NATCHITOCHES, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Ten middle school teachers spent time learning more about Louisiana Creoles. New Orleans Jazz Museum celebrates Clifton Chenier, zydeco king The Creole Heritage Center at Northwestern State University (NSU), in partnership with Cane River Creole National Historical Park and Cane River National Heritage Area, welcomed teachers from across the state to NSU for a three-day institute. Dr. Kent Peacock, director of the Creole Heritage Center, said, 'Our goal was to give teachers a better understanding of who are Louisiana Creoles and their vibrant heritage so they feel confident incorporating these essential parts of Louisiana and the United States into their classrooms.' Discover clay techniques and wheel work at NSU's ceramics class The teachers learned about and visited many of the heritage sites in Natchitoches Parish, including NSU's Creole Heritage Center, Melrose on the Cane, Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum and two of Cane River Creole National Historical Park's sites, St. Augustine Catholic Church, and the Badin Roque House. The hope is that the teachers will pass on what they learned about Creoles to their students and take them to some of the sites. The Creole Heritage Center wants to present the institute again in Natchitoches and other Louisiana locations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Darryl Barthé: The pope's Creole connection isn't a new one for Chicago
'We fooled them.' These were the words of an elderly Creole woman from New Orleans, who spoke to me recently in light of the elevation of Robert Prevost to office of the Holy See. Those words spoke to a long tradition of Creole men pilfering the privileges of whiteness in America. Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, but, make no mistake, the pope is Creole. During the Jim Crow era, Chicago was a popular destination for 'passé blanc' Creoles seeking to escape the oppression of the Jim Crow South. New Orleans Creole and civil rights attorney Alexander Pierre 'A.P.' Tureaud spoke on the phenomenon. He recalled that there were Creoles who were 'too dark to be white in New Orleans,' where they would be 'easily identifiable as colored,' and they passed quietly into white American identities in Chicago, where their phenotypical appearances could have been interpreted as Mediterranean. This is the story of the pope's parents. The Prevost family's story isn't a particularly unique one. In recent years, there have been a handful of high-profile cases demonstrating the exact same dynamic. Among the most notable of these include Anatole Broyard, a Creole born in New Orleans who passed into a white American identity, moved to New York City, and became a celebrated writer and literary critic. George Herriman, the artist and creator of the comic strip 'Krazy Kat,' was a Creole born in New Orleans who passed into a white American identity, moved to Los Angeles and became a nationally syndicated cartoonist. It is a sad and grim fact of American life that, had these men proclaimed their African heritage and ancestry, it is unlikely that they would have ever enjoyed the success that they achieved as white men in the United States. The Catholic Church has always been central to Creole identity in Louisiana, despite an uneasy relationship with the actual leadership of the church, which has always been white and which has always proved a willingness to accommodate white racism. Among the earliest accounts of Creole priests in Louisiana, the story of the Rev. John Joseph Plantevigne — a Creole from Pointe-Coupée, Louisiana, and a graduate of Straight University who was ordained as a Josephite priest in Baltimore in 1907 — is among the most tragic. Plantevigne arrived in New Orleans in 1909, excited to begin his vocation and intent on celebrating Mass at St. Dominic's in New Orleans. The pastor of St. Dominic, however, was a (white) Creole, the Rev. Peter Labeau. Labeau refused to allow Plantevigne to celebrate Mass, however, as he did not believe it appropriate to allow a person of color access to the pulpit. Plantevigne protested to Archbishop James Blenk, who responded by forbidding Plantevigne from celebrating Mass anywhere in New Orleans. Plantevigne relocated from New Orleans to Palmetto, Louisiana, but Blenk responded to this by forbidding him from celebrating Mass anywhere in the archdiocese. Plantevigne left Louisiana and moved to Baltimore, where he died at 42 years old, embittered and disillusioned, and described by historian Norman R. Smith as 'a broken man with a broken heart.' The story of Plantevigne is the story of religion in the time of Jim Crow. It is, in many ways, instructive and offers insight into the desperation that drove many Creoles — such as Prevost's parents — to abandon their community, and their heritage, in pursuit of opportunity in faraway American lands where their dark skin could easily be mistaken for the olive complexion of Greeks or Spaniards or Italians. Tureaud recalled his own migration to Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century in an interview with the late University of New Orleans historian Joe Logsdon. Tureaud described scenes of African Americans in rural Mississippi running behind moving trains, 'begging to be permitted to get on in order to escape peonage' and the 'sharecropping' system that functioned to re-create the antebellum political economy of the American South, described by historian Douglas A. Blackmon as 'slavery by another name.' Prevost's family was just one of many who made that trek, severing ties with family, community and heritage. And though it is certainly tempting to judge their decision to hide their African heritage from their children, it seems clear that if they had stayed in New Orleans, it is extremely unlikely that their son, Robert, would have ever ascended to the throne of St. Peter as Pope Leo XIV. Prior to the conclave, many African Catholics bemoaned the racism of European Catholics who, they suggested, would never elect an African pope. Indeed, the last pope with origins in Africa was Pope Gelasius I, who reigned from 492 to 496 A.D. However, Louisiana Creole genealogist and historian Jari Honora at the Historical New Orleans Collection has produced the documentation: Pope Leo XIV is, at least in part, an American descendant of enslaved Africans. Catholics who are racist will have much to muse on during Leo's reign. Africans will be left to decide for themselves if they accept the pope as 'one of their own.' Catholic Creoles in New Orleans, however, have already claimed him for themselves. 'We fooled them,' she said.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Leo IX ancestry linked to St. Landry Parish since 1792
ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) — It's amazing what a trip to the courthouse will get you, because come to find out, the Pope, Robert Francis Prevost has a family history right in St. Landry Parish that dates all the way back to 1792. 'I was informed by Mr. Jagneaux, the Clerk here, that maybe we should check and see specifically because they were tying two names that are very associated here with the parish, which was the Baquie family and the Lemelle family,' said St. Landry Parish Archivist Larry Caillier Jr. Callier says he has researched the Pope's family lineage to create a chart that shows exactly where his connection to the parish begins. He says the Pope's grandmother, Louise Baquie, came from a long-established Louisiana Creole family. The further back you look, the more St. Landry parish history you find. The Lemelle family was one of the wealthiest Creoles of color families in St. Landry Parish. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'I wanted to find out if we could go back even further than that and find some records. And interestingly enough, St. Landry Parish, at one point in time was known as Post de Opelousas.' explained Callier. 'That military post shows in a census that in 1792 you had a Louis Lemelle who had married a Celeste Olympe De Grand Pre, that listed Louis Lemelle as a free man of color. That was at the Post at that point in time. So, we can actually trace the Pope's lineage all the way back to this area, going all the way back to 1792.' As the Pope's lineage is traced back to the parish, Caillier says he hopes to also meet family members still in the parish to uncover even more stories. 'It's never a one-way process,' said Caillier. 'Whenever you're doing genealogical research, generally, it takes an entire community or family of individuals to all kind of do their part because not everything was recorded in documentation. So, you end up having to use family word of mouth in hopes that you still have family members that say, oh, I remember Great-Grandma Baquie, or I remember my nanny. That was it. That information is priceless.' Governor Jeff Landry issues executive order concerning major jail breach Pope Leo IX ancestry linked to St. Landry Parish since 1792 GOP leaders reveal changes to win over holdouts on Trump agenda bill Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay dies at 65 Mom pleads for the public's help in finding her missing daughter Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Leo's family tree shows ties to a prominent Creole family of color in Louisiana
As the first Catholic pope from the United States, Pope Leo XIV has an ancestry that traces back to the Creole and free people of color from Louisiana, illustrating complex and interconnected issues of race and class in American history. 'His rise is not just a religious milestone, it's a historical affirmation,' genealogist and former official Louisiana state archivist Alex DaPaul Lee said of the man previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost. When Lee first heard about the pope's Creole roots from fellow genealogist Jamarlon Glenn, he responded, 'There's no way,' Lee said with a laugh. 'But then I began going down a rabbit hole of research.' Lee, the founder of Alex Genealogy and Southwest Louisiana Genealogy Researchers, discovered troves of documents in his collection and gathered records from his network of genealogists that confirmed information about Pope Leo's background. It also showed generations of Catholicism within Prevost's family. 'It didn't take long for me to realize that he was a Creole from the seventh ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, which was a prominent place for Louisiana Creoles,' he said. The news of the pope's Creole roots was also noted by genealogist Jari C. Honora. Leo's brother John Prevost confirmed the connection to The New York Times and said he and his brothers had never talked about it. 'It was never an issue,' John Prevost told the Times. Although his paternal surname, 'Prevost,' is common in Louisiana, Lee said a strong Creole connection was actually found in Pope Leo's maternal ancestry: His great-great-grandmother Celeste Lemelle was the daughter of two free people of color, Louis Lemelle and Celeste Olimpie Grandpres. They married in Opelousas, Louisiana, in 1798, and were legally classified as 'quadroons.' 'That meant they would have a fourth African ancestry or it could have been Native American ancestry,' Lee said. The Creole community emerged in Louisiana due to the blending of cultures there. French, Native American, Spanish, German and descendants of West African countries all cohabitated in the region during the pre-colonial era when France and Spain owned the Louisiana territory. In Louisiana during the 1700s, there were three main racial categories: the enslaved, Gens de Couleur Libres (free people of color/Creoles of color) and the white planter class, according to Lee. The classifications within the Creole community were based on legal status and racial identity, with other categories like 'mulatto' and 'octoroon' often showing up within historic documents, Lee said. He added that there were also Creoles of color who owned enslaved people at the time. Documentation shows that the Lemelle family once owned enslaved people. Lee said the Lemelle family, which traced its wealth to cattle ranching, became one of the most prominent Creole families during the Antebellum period in Louisiana. The pope's great-great-grandmother Celeste Lemelle was a free woman of color and documents show she was given earnings from a business owned by Ferdinand Gayarré in December of 1833. In addition, she was also given land in 1850 from Frédéric Guimont, a merchant whom she had several children with. The transaction was irrevocable as a way to protect her ownership of it, Lee said. 'One of the most significant things about Louisiana was that women could own property and they have been owning property since its early inception, especially free women of color,' Lee said. Lee pointed out where the change of racial identity can be seen within Pope Leo's family during the 1800s. Celeste Lemelle's son Ferdinand David Baquie, born in New Orleans on Oct. 10, 1837, was listed as 'mulatto' in the 1870 census. But in 1880, he and his entire family were listed as white. In terms of how Pope Leo's family ended up in Illinois, Lee said his family was likely part of the hundreds of other Louisiana Creoles who migrated north during the first wave of the Great Migration in the early 1900s. 'Illinois was once part of the Louisiana territory. They had an old post by the name of Kaskaskia where they had some of the earliest Creole people,' Lee said, adding that people of color would have had more job opportunities and better civil liberties in the northern state. 'Considering the fact that many of these families passed for white in Chicago meant they were going to have more success, regardless, because of their appearance.' Lee said it's notable that the pope's racial background reflects the diverse blends of cultures that have historically merged to form the unique identity of Louisiana. 'In America, a lot of people think everything is just Black or white,' he said. 'But it's important to note that the pope's ancestry represents a more inclusive view of what it means to be a Catholic, and what it means to be an American with Louisiana Creole ties. This is more than just genealogy, it's a legacy.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
13-05-2025
- General
- NBC News
Pope Leo's family tree shows ties to a prominent Creole family of color in Louisiana
As the first Catholic pope from the United States, Pope Leo XIV has an ancestry that traces back to the Creole and free people of color from Louisiana, illustrating complex and interconnected issues of race and class in American history. 'His rise is not just a religious milestone, it's a historical affirmation,' genealogist and former official Louisiana state archivist Alex DaPaul Lee said of the man previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost. When Lee first heard about the pope's Creole roots from fellow genealogist Jamarlon Glenn, he responded, 'There's no way,' Lee said with a laugh. 'But then I began going down a rabbit hole of research.' Lee, the founder of Alex Genealogy and Southwest Louisiana Genealogy Researchers, discovered troves of documents in his collection and gathered records from his network of genealogists that confirmed information about Pope Leo's background. It also showed generations of Catholicism within Prevost's family. 'It didn't take long for me to realize that he was a Creole from the seventh ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, which was a prominent place for Louisiana Creoles,' he said. The news of the pope's Creole roots was also noted by genealogist Jari C. Honora. Leo's brother John Prevost confirmed the connection to The New York Times and said he and his brothers had never talked about it. 'It was never an issue,' John Prevost told the Times. Although his paternal surname, 'Prevost,' is common in Louisiana, Lee said a strong Creole connection was actually found in Pope Leo'smaternal ancestry: His great-great-grandmother Celeste Lemelle was the daughter of two free people of color, Louis Lemelle and Celeste Olimpie Grandpres. They married in Opelousas, Louisiana, in 1798, and were legally classified as 'quadroons.' 'That meant they would have a fourth African ancestry or it could have been Native American ancestry,' Lee said. The Creole community emerged in Louisiana due to the blending of cultures there. French, Native American, Spanish, German and descendants of West African countries all cohabitated in the region during the pre-colonial era when France and Spain owned the Louisiana territory. In Louisiana during the 1700s, there were three main racial categories: the enslaved, Gens de Couleur Libres (free people of color/Creoles of color) and the white planter class, according to Lee. The classifications within the Creole community were based on legal status and racial identity, with other categories like 'mulatto' and 'octoroon' often showing up within historic documents, Lee said. He added that there were also Creoles of color who owned enslaved people at the time. Documentation shows that the Lemelle family once owned enslaved people. Lee said the Lemelle family, which traced its wealth to cattle ranching, became one of the most prominent Creole families during the Antebellum period in Louisiana. The pope's great-great-grandmother Celeste Lemelle was a free woman of color and documents show she was given earnings from a business owned by Ferdinand Gayarré in December of 1833. In addition, she was also given land in 1850 from Frédéric Guimont, a merchant whom she had several children with. The transaction was irrevocable as a way to protect her ownership of it, Lee said. 'One of the most significant things about Louisiana was that women could own property and they have been owning property since its early inception, especially free women of color,' Lee said. Lee pointed out where the change of racial identity can be seen within Pope Leo's family during the 1800s. Celeste Lemelle's son Ferdinand David Baquie, born in New Orleans on Oct. 10, 1837, was listed as 'mulatto' in the 1870 census. But in 1880, he and his entire family were listed as white. In terms of how Pope Leo's family ended up in Illinois, Lee said his family was likely part of the hundreds of other Louisiana Creoles who migrated north during the first wave of the Great Migration in the early 1900s. 'Illinois was once part of the Louisiana territory. They had an old post by the name of Kaskaskia where they had some of the earliest Creole people,' Lee said, adding that people of color would have had more job opportunities and better civil liberties in the northern state. 'Considering the fact that many of these families passed for white in Chicago meant they were going to have more success, regardless, because of their appearance.' Lee said it's notable that the pope's racial background reflects the diverse blends of cultures that have historically merged to form the unique identity of Louisiana. 'In America, a lot of people think everything is just Black or white,' he said. 'But it's important to note that the pope's ancestry represents a more inclusive view of what it means to be a Catholic, and what it means to be an American with Louisiana Creole ties. This is more than just genealogy, it's a legacy.'
