Hansen's Disease and Slavery

My senses encountered vibes of negativity and hurt from the grounds of the Whitney Plantation. I hear the wind brushing against the trees and bushes. When hearing the terrible things that occurred there, I learned how much I truly care about slavery. This time in US history that allowed slavery made me feel differently about humanity and our day to day lives. Humanity in my eyes, it is supposed to be about caring for one another and loving one another. The acts that took place when the plantation was in order, did not line up with my ideas of humanity. Culture ties into what was learned today, because the enslaved Africans had their own culture while Caucasians that were involved with the enslaved had their own culture. Both cultures  believe deeply in what makes them happy and what makes their souls at peace. Other travelers who are hungry for adventure should visit both the Whitney Plantation and The Hansen's Disease Museum. I recommend both locations to people that want to experience what it was like to be segregated and mistreated by others. The entire experience was very positive and taught me a single lesson. Do not take life for granted and realize that many do not have it as good as you do. 

(Photo taken in Leprosy Museum of a wheelchair float)

(Picture taken of an art piece in a bedroom set up at the museum)

(Passage ways for previous residents to go from building to building)

Pharmacy Museum

My excitement prior to going to the pharmacy museum was uncontainable. Learning about the 19th century healthcare practices paints a picture of the type of life many citizens in NOLA live. The streets of New Orleans are not full of malaria and yellow fever and is full of lively citizens and visitors. The knowledgable man from the pharmacy museum knew more than the average  Joe about barbers, physicians, and dentists. The most exciting part of visiting the pharmacy museum was the upstairs portion of the building. I enjoy learning about child birthing and their was a room designated to educating visitors on the “birthing room” of the building. Forceps lie in the glass covered box next to the bed they have set up upstair. It is difficult for me to fathom that forceps are still used today to birth children. While wondering further through the building, I walk down the stairs and outside to the courtyard. The courtyard is lined with plants and a beautiful waterfall subsides in the background. Other students talking to one another on the side walk leading to the waterfall gossiping about the incredible information the brilliant man from the museum shared with all of us.  

Art in New Orleans

When walking down Royal street, I picked an art gallery randomly to view its contents. I never expected that I would absolutely love looking at the art. The piece that stood out to me was named “Desire in the Quarter.” I spoke to the man in charge of the Rue Toulouse art gallery and he told me that James Hussey painted this picture. He informed me that he is still living today and born in what he believed to be 1931. He spoke about how James Hussey enjoyed painting pictures of the french quarter that can run up to more than 20,000 dollars. This artist’s piece spoke me right away by capturing a picture of so a place I stood during my short time here in NOLA. I remember seeing the building and appreciating the beautiful iron work surrounding the building. This tells the story of someone like me that is seeing this building for the first time and wanting to go back to view it again. I like the story it tells, because I can relate to it directly and feel what the picture is saying. This artist’s work draws my attention with his accuracy and brilliant colors. I would enjoy viewing other pieces of art from Mr. Hussey.

(Portrait name)

(Building actually subsiding on Royal and St. Peter street)

(Another art piece I loved at the gallery)

(Gallery that my favorite "Desire in the Quarter" portrait came from)

Music in New Orleans

While walking down the endless streets of New Orleans, “NOLA” as they call it here, I heard a wide variety of music from classical to jazz. Music is so important to New Orleans, because jazz was widely played here in NOLA. The culture of New Orleans flourishes off of the good vibes music gives to listeners. New Orleans is so important to American music because many popular Jazz artists such as Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong are widely listened to in all states.The city spoke to me through the music by listening to the singers as they sing about the streets and history of New Orleans. The music felt as if it grabbed ahold of my heart strings and allowed me to feel the hardship New Orleans has encountered. When visiting the Treme, I found it most interesting how the homes were shaped. One part of the home seemed to melt into the other side of the home. This architectural difference made me think back to how homes are built in my home town. When visiting the Pharmacy museum, I absolutely enjoyed learning about old medicine and how people thought about treatment in the 19^th century. I learned a lot from the brilliant man educating my colleagues and I, on old time medications and physician practices. The knowledge collected at the pharmacy museum helped me see how far the medical field in New Orleans has come since the epidemic of yellow fever and malaria in this area. 

(Fire house seen during music tour)

The Voodoo Queen

The city told me many interesting stories as I embarked on my journey throughout the city. I remember the most about when I learned about  ancestors that lived in the city many years prior to my arrival. Marie Laveau “the voodoo queen” had a very interesting life story. We learned about how they are not sure where she is buried, and that many visitors would ask for favors at her grave. She is seen as more of a doctor more than what today thinks is “voodoo.” We also visited the congo square, where we watched a man dance to the beat of a congo. It was more than interesting to watch someone dance so effortlessly. The dance almost told  story, his every movement went to the beat of the drum. Throughout my short duration in New Orleans so far, I have truly felt connected to the city and its history. The city made my soul feel at peace and made my heart feel as if it belongs to the home of todays Mardi Gras. I was very surprised to learn about the Italian restaurant and their delicious gellato and canolis. Gellato is unlike any other ice cream, it makes you second guess traditional ice cream. I learned quite a few things about myself also while exploring the city. I learned how much I really appreciate the freedom the people of New Orleans get to have and that I may have ancestors that lived in this part of the United States. My preconceptions of the city were pretty accurate; I expected it to be a lot of fun, but I did not expect the city to be so haunted.