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Lords of Misrule: Mardi Gras and the Politics of Race in New Orleans
Mardi Gras remains one of the most distinctive features of New Orleans. Although the city has celebrated Carnival since its days as a French and Spanish colonial outpost, the rituals familiar today were largely established in the Civil War era by a white male elite. In fact, the men behind the masks on the parade floats and at the Mardi Gras balls have kept the spirit of the Confederacy alive. They have put artistry and erudition into their Carnival displays while harboring a virulent racism that has led to violence and massacre. Because the Mardi Gras organizations have remained secret societies, their role in the white supremacist cause has not been fully recorded, until now. Lords of Misrule is the first book to explore the effects of Mardi Gras on the social and political development of New Orleans, the first to analyze recent attempts to end racial segregation within the organizations that stage the annual festivities. The history of Carnival is so intertwined with the history of New Orleans that the story cannot be told without a social, economic, and political context. Lords of Misrule examines the often-bloody history of segregation and documents the role of the Carnival fraternity and the controversy aroused by attempts to desegregate Mardi Gras.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 3, 2021
Since I have mixed feeling about this book, I'm going to split this between the good and the bad. THE GOOD: Lords of Misrule is quite readable and the author often has a turn of phrase which is humorous but doesn't seem heavy-handed. Gill does do an excellent job of describing the progression of the 1992 Anti-discrimination ordinance that changed the face of Carnival in New Orleans - although much less than expected, and (to a lesser extent) the controversy over the Liberty Place monument. THE BAD: The middle 3/4 of the book is a political and social history of New Orleans, in many cases with a tenuous connection to the Carnival celebration. Often, Gill throws out that specific movers and shakers in a given situation are members of the old-line Carnival krewes (Comus, Momus, Proteus, Rex, 12th Night Revelers) implying that the krewe itself might be a driving force. I feel that he's on shaky ground here, since these situations are going to involve the "optimates" of the Crescent City, many of whom are members of these groups. I'm not saying that he's 100% wrong, but I also feel like there's a certain tail wagging the dog feel to his arguments. Also, many of the tensions discussed, especially prior to the 20th Century, are as much about French/Spanish Creoles vs. British-descended "Yankees", various waves of immigration (German, Irish, Italian, et al) vs. earlier residents of the region, Downtown vs. Uptown, Catholic vs. Protestant, Free People of Color vs. former plantation slaves, as they are about white vs. black. In general, I felt like the author throws around more than a few questionable facts (especially the further back, historically, that the book goes), often without much documentation; there are no specific footnotes or end notes, just a general list of source material used in each chapter. I'll give this 3 stars. Probably 4 stars if you only focus on the modern (later 20th Century) stuff. However, if you are interested in racial/social aspects of the history of Mardi Gras, I'd suggest reading Reid Mitchell's ALL ON A MARDI GRAS DAY - written in approximately the same period (published two years prior to LORDS OF MISRULE), and, in my option, better documented and focused.
March 5, 2009
So great! Party because it's infused with British humor and partly because New Orleans politics is a dark comedy in itself, this book is a historical account written like a fiction novel. It starts and ends with the early 90's saga of NOLA City Councilwoman Dorothy Mae Taylor leading the crusade to finally and completely desegregate Mardi Gras. In between is the background that makes the current situation make sense. Gill is honest about feelings of the old-line krewes being a bastion of close-minded, elitist moderately bigoted businessmen. He is also very quick to defend their right to social homogeneity. Overall, it was a great read for someone who grew up knowing what was what, but not knowing why.
February 6, 2017
This is a very detailed book about race relations in New Orleans. It begins with the history of classification of blacks by the "amount of blood" in their ancestry, but its primary focus is the discrimination against blacks, women, Jews, Italians, gays, and other minorities in the formation the "krewes"--the secret social societies who gather at private clubs, choose kings and queens, host parties, and run the floats which make Mardi Gras so famous.. This books goes beyond the beads, the geaux cups, the revelry to look at the society involved and a 1992 city ordinance which dealt a severe blow to the status quo. Rather than open their clubs to such "undesirables" some krewes, such as Comus and Rex decided not to participate, some after 150 years of doing so.
At times the book can be dry, but its message is important. I spent several weeks in Mardi Gras festivities in the late 80's and early 90's, prior to this ordinance, and was "politely" informed that I was not invited to certain functions because I was Jewish. I have not visited since but I would like to return someday.
At times the book can be dry, but its message is important. I spent several weeks in Mardi Gras festivities in the late 80's and early 90's, prior to this ordinance, and was "politely" informed that I was not invited to certain functions because I was Jewish. I have not visited since but I would like to return someday.
August 31, 2015
I was mostly underwhelmed by the structure and pacing of the book and then I got
To the last couple pages of summary and realized that I was was just disappointed entirely. The author's assertions about the takeaways of race and the victims of racism feel disrespectful of the history he chronicles as well as fully missing a true understanding of the essence of racism. Sadly, not worth reading to its end. Some of the historical anecdotes were interesting on their own, but not enough to save the book.
To the last couple pages of summary and realized that I was was just disappointed entirely. The author's assertions about the takeaways of race and the victims of racism feel disrespectful of the history he chronicles as well as fully missing a true understanding of the essence of racism. Sadly, not worth reading to its end. Some of the historical anecdotes were interesting on their own, but not enough to save the book.
March 12, 2019
James Gill does not like to reference most of his facts. Sometimes he describes something real wild with no indication if he made it up or not. James Gill has clearly never taken an African American history class, nor even done much reading on race and politics at the time of the printing of the book. So you kind of have to take everything with a grain of salt, and also know that this is a very on-the-surface look into the politics of race in New Orleans.
That being said, the history of the founding krewes of New Orleans is fascinating, and for lack of a better option, I give this 3 stars.
That being said, the history of the founding krewes of New Orleans is fascinating, and for lack of a better option, I give this 3 stars.
June 17, 2008
Anyone that is interested in learning how New Orleans politics and Mardi Gras intermingle in the city should read this book. Great read!!
July 3, 2023
Most people associate my hometown of New Orleans with the Mardi Gras - the floats, the doubloons, the debauchery. And as a survivor of numerous Carnivals, I can attest that all of those things are absolutely real (especially the debauchery part). But there’s a dark and secretive heart beating behind all the pomp and general insanity. 'Lords of Misrule' by James Gill seeks to peer behind the veil of what Mardi Gras is really all about.
What fascinated me about this book is the way the author breaks down the city's history as it relates to Carnival time, particularly its pre-Civil War origins as an expression of the cultural and economic power of a cabal of elitist men of property and privilege. Gill confirmed something I suspected while growing up traversing the conflicting ley lines delineating the rules of race and class in New Orleans - there's a small group at the top who live differently from the rest of the population, and it’s hard to get into that winner’s circle. Only the right sort of person is allowed into the Boston Club and others of its ilk.
Moreover, this group jealously guards their secrets. In the early 1990s, New Orleans City Council member Dorothy Mae Taylor attempted to desegregate the old boys' clubs behind the upper-crust Comus organization, an event that resulted in Comus suspending its street parade, a decision it has never wavered on. Angry words were thrown back and forth, and various demagogic caricatures such as infamous white supremacist David Duke capitalized on the resulting furor. Gill does an excellent job here recollecting the sordid details and the players on all sides of the debate.
This period was one I was aware of while a young man living in and around the French Quarter at the time, but I never stopped to think about what such a challenge to the barons of the Boston Club actually meant from a cultural standpoint. In the early 90s, no-one would've thought to take Robert E. Lee from his spot atop the pedestal in the circle that used to bear his name; today, the idea such an edifice ever existed is anathema to many people.
Gill’s book should be of interest to anyone not from the region or interested in the intersection of politics, culture and history. As a read it’s a bit dry. But the book is well-researched and even-handed in its pursuit of understanding the mysterious world behind the masks of Mardi Gras.
What fascinated me about this book is the way the author breaks down the city's history as it relates to Carnival time, particularly its pre-Civil War origins as an expression of the cultural and economic power of a cabal of elitist men of property and privilege. Gill confirmed something I suspected while growing up traversing the conflicting ley lines delineating the rules of race and class in New Orleans - there's a small group at the top who live differently from the rest of the population, and it’s hard to get into that winner’s circle. Only the right sort of person is allowed into the Boston Club and others of its ilk.
Moreover, this group jealously guards their secrets. In the early 1990s, New Orleans City Council member Dorothy Mae Taylor attempted to desegregate the old boys' clubs behind the upper-crust Comus organization, an event that resulted in Comus suspending its street parade, a decision it has never wavered on. Angry words were thrown back and forth, and various demagogic caricatures such as infamous white supremacist David Duke capitalized on the resulting furor. Gill does an excellent job here recollecting the sordid details and the players on all sides of the debate.
This period was one I was aware of while a young man living in and around the French Quarter at the time, but I never stopped to think about what such a challenge to the barons of the Boston Club actually meant from a cultural standpoint. In the early 90s, no-one would've thought to take Robert E. Lee from his spot atop the pedestal in the circle that used to bear his name; today, the idea such an edifice ever existed is anathema to many people.
Gill’s book should be of interest to anyone not from the region or interested in the intersection of politics, culture and history. As a read it’s a bit dry. But the book is well-researched and even-handed in its pursuit of understanding the mysterious world behind the masks of Mardi Gras.
August 4, 2022
The pros of this book are that it is very detailed and well-researched. You can tell the author clearly put in the work at gathering and examining primary and secondary sources and for that I give them kudos.
The con is that I don’t know how, but somehow they took the enthralling topics of Mardi Gras and race relations and turned them into a dull, boring, lifeless piece of literature. It was truly a struggle to get through some sections of the book as it felt like wading through the nitty gritty bits of a history textbook. There were a couple fairly good chapters and passages that were kind of interesting, but overall it wasn’t a great read.
The con is that I don’t know how, but somehow they took the enthralling topics of Mardi Gras and race relations and turned them into a dull, boring, lifeless piece of literature. It was truly a struggle to get through some sections of the book as it felt like wading through the nitty gritty bits of a history textbook. There were a couple fairly good chapters and passages that were kind of interesting, but overall it wasn’t a great read.
April 18, 2020
I read this book because I was raised in New Orleans, with so many of these undertones around that I hardly understood what they were. I was surprised to find a girl I went to school with, in the book as a cohort of David Duke, but many of the elite names I remembered from various times and places of when I lived there. I think if you take away the aspect of Mardi Gras, this book is about elitism and racism anywhere. I don't think it would be enlightening to anyone who is not familiar with New Orleans though.
February 7, 2024
Really good material on the history of the old Mardi Gras krewes and their connections to the political and racial history of New Orleans and Louisiana. But James Gill cannot help himself in trying to stick in little digs that he thinks are oh-so-clever, but in 2024 come off as outdated and borderline offensive. Also, his epilogue effectively equates a long history of racist violence (which he does duly acknowledge and document, to his credit) with, like, racial progressives vaunting unearned (in his mind) moral superiority, which really cast a pall on all of the good parts of the book.
March 15, 2024
Competently wrought history for most of the book. Needed some clarification or details filled in in some parts. A VERY interesting time and place in the world, very consequential for not just Southern but US political culture. But then author James Gill really shits the bed in the last few pages with that conclusion. Jesus Christ. That shit absolutely does not follow from all the history you just laid out. I guess maybe you can't expect a british guy to come away with the right lessons regarding race. LOL.
August 15, 2020
Detailed book about race relations and Mardi Gras segregation, but Gill presents his points in a flat and boring tone. There is also not enough evidence to support many of his bold claims.
February 16, 2016
This book tells an interesting story but does an underwhelming job doing it, and veers off the rails at the end with some commentary that really undermines the message of the book.
The history of racism in Mardi Gras krewes is laid out in a relatively accessible way here. Members of the old-line krewes were intimately involved in the systemic oppression of African Americans since the 1840s in New Orleans, and this book pulls no punches about that. But this book leaves many stones unturned, and simultaneously chooses to dive deep into some stories that seem tangentially related to the main narrative arc. The odd selection for emphasis creates a bit of an ephemeral feel to the book - it floats along the history of New Orleans and occasionally goes somewhere interesting.
That would be fine, but for the epilogue. For most of the book, Gill is pretty steady in his criticism of the racist nature of the krewes. However, in the epilogue, he turns his aim on the African American councilwoman and activists who sought to desegregate the krewes, accusing them of racism akin to that of their opponents. This, obviously, is bullshit. The racism of the krewes has deep, impactful and lasting impacts on the city of New Orleans and has been organized to systemically deny African Americans any power or access to opportunity in the city. In as much as you believe that the krewes' opponents are guilty of bigotry, it cannot be said that it had an impact on the city beyond making some rich racists uncomfortable.
I'm giving the book 3 stars because I believe that understanding the history of the krewes is important, but I hope someone can come along and tell this story in a more effective manner.
The history of racism in Mardi Gras krewes is laid out in a relatively accessible way here. Members of the old-line krewes were intimately involved in the systemic oppression of African Americans since the 1840s in New Orleans, and this book pulls no punches about that. But this book leaves many stones unturned, and simultaneously chooses to dive deep into some stories that seem tangentially related to the main narrative arc. The odd selection for emphasis creates a bit of an ephemeral feel to the book - it floats along the history of New Orleans and occasionally goes somewhere interesting.
That would be fine, but for the epilogue. For most of the book, Gill is pretty steady in his criticism of the racist nature of the krewes. However, in the epilogue, he turns his aim on the African American councilwoman and activists who sought to desegregate the krewes, accusing them of racism akin to that of their opponents. This, obviously, is bullshit. The racism of the krewes has deep, impactful and lasting impacts on the city of New Orleans and has been organized to systemically deny African Americans any power or access to opportunity in the city. In as much as you believe that the krewes' opponents are guilty of bigotry, it cannot be said that it had an impact on the city beyond making some rich racists uncomfortable.
I'm giving the book 3 stars because I believe that understanding the history of the krewes is important, but I hope someone can come along and tell this story in a more effective manner.
June 25, 2016
This was a challenging book to read, and not because of a level of difficulty.
It's easy to look at New Orleans, with its primarily Black population, and assume that desegregation is complete and all is well. Yet, in the 1990s, Dorothy Mae Taylor, a Black city councilwoman, put forth a bill to require that the old line parade krewes be required to desegregate.
The krewes had their origins in white supremacy, led by the Americans on the uptown side of town as a way to show their superiority to the Creoles, free people of color, etc., in the French Quarter. They focused on obscure mythologies, and promoted that membership should only be among whites. Krewe members were instrumental in the white supremacist uprising in the 1870s referred to as the Battle of Liberty Place, and some of their parades referred to that theme.
This book chronicles the history of the old line krewes, as well as Taylor's attempts to force integration in the krewes and social clubs that spawned them. As such, it is an outstanding text on civil rights and the history of suppression in the South. That Taylor was even remotely successful ( the adopted bill was amended and water down so many times as to be essentially toothless) was an affront to the white populace, such that three of the old line krewes (Comus, Momus, and Proteus) cancelled their parades in perpetuity and now only meet for private balls.
This is an important book for those studying the civil rights movement, as many seem to resume that ours is a post-racial society for having elected a Black president. Those paying attention to the bigotry he faces know better, and this book is an interesting look at one aspect of the problem.
It's easy to look at New Orleans, with its primarily Black population, and assume that desegregation is complete and all is well. Yet, in the 1990s, Dorothy Mae Taylor, a Black city councilwoman, put forth a bill to require that the old line parade krewes be required to desegregate.
The krewes had their origins in white supremacy, led by the Americans on the uptown side of town as a way to show their superiority to the Creoles, free people of color, etc., in the French Quarter. They focused on obscure mythologies, and promoted that membership should only be among whites. Krewe members were instrumental in the white supremacist uprising in the 1870s referred to as the Battle of Liberty Place, and some of their parades referred to that theme.
This book chronicles the history of the old line krewes, as well as Taylor's attempts to force integration in the krewes and social clubs that spawned them. As such, it is an outstanding text on civil rights and the history of suppression in the South. That Taylor was even remotely successful ( the adopted bill was amended and water down so many times as to be essentially toothless) was an affront to the white populace, such that three of the old line krewes (Comus, Momus, and Proteus) cancelled their parades in perpetuity and now only meet for private balls.
This is an important book for those studying the civil rights movement, as many seem to resume that ours is a post-racial society for having elected a Black president. Those paying attention to the bigotry he faces know better, and this book is an interesting look at one aspect of the problem.
October 5, 2009
Not an easy read for me but i stuck with it. I learned so much about the political/racial aspects of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Was fortunate to hear Mr. Gill read at a bookreading in New Orleans on September 27, 2009.
May 30, 2012
A very informative read; Complements 'New Orleans: After the Promises' well, especially in the later chapters covering Mardi Gras post WWII and leading up to the 1991 desegregation hearings for the Krewes.
June 30, 2015
Lots of good information but Gill can barely contain his distaste for one of the public figures he wrote about.
December 10, 2011
This book is THE book to read if you want to know what was and still is wrong with Mardi Gras.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews