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Breaking the Race and Gender Barriers of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Tradition
Louisiana State University Press
January 2013
On Sale: January 18, 2013
216 pages
ISBN: 0807150703
EAN: 9780807150702
Kindle: B00B02ASU4
Paperback / e-Book
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Non-Fiction History
One of the first womenβs organizations to mask and perform during Mardi Gras, the Million Dollar Baby Dolls redefined the New Orleans carnival tradition. Tracing their origins from Storyville-era brothels and dance halls to their re-emergence in post-Katrina New Orleans, author Kim Marie Vaz uncovers the fascinating history of the βraddy-walking, shake-dancing, cigar-smoking, money-flingingβ ladies who strutted their way into a predominantly male establishment.
The Baby Dolls formed around 1912 as an organization of African American women who used their profits from working in New Orleansβs red-light district to compete with other Black prostitutes on Mardi Gras. Part of this event involved the tradition of masking, in which carnival groups create a collective identity through costuming. Their baby doll costumesβshort satin dresses, stockings with garters, and bonnetsβset against a bold and provocative public behavior not only exploited stereotypes but also empowered and made visible an otherwise marginalized female demographic.
Over time, different neighborhoods adopted the Baby Doll tradition, stirring the creative imagination of Black women and men across New Orleans, from the downtown TremΓ© area to the uptown community of Mahalia Jackson. Vaz follows the Baby Doll phenomenon through one hundred years with photos, articles, and interviews and concludes with the birth of contemporary groups, emphasizing these organizationsβ crucial contribution to Louisianaβs cultural history.
 Media BuzzWeekend Edition Saturday - February 16, 2013
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