Traveling to culturally significant locations: Louis Armstrong Park & Congo Square (6 pts) - Kai Washington (Class of 2028)

While visiting New Orleans with my family, I had the opportunity to visit Louis Armstrong Park, a park dedicated to the famous jazz musician and located in Tremé, the oldest Black neighborhood in the United States. The park encompasses the tradition of jazz within the city and reflects its deep cultural roots. Within the park, I also visited Congo Square, a site with a lot of historical and cultural significance. 

During the nineteenth century, before emancipation, Congo Square was one of the only places where enslaved people were permitted to gather on Sundays, their only day off, to play music, dance, and share food connected to their African heritage. Scholars suggest that this blending of various African traditions laid the foundation for what would later become New Orleans jazz. Learning about this history felt especially meaningful given that my family's heritage is rooted in New Orleans. 

This experience deepened my understanding of how Black culture in New Orleans has been preserved and transformed despite oppression. Visiting Congo Square allowed me to reflect on the resilience of the Black community and how creativity, music, and tradition have served as powerful forms of survival and cultural continuation. 

Kai Washington