COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS & TOUR GUIDE COMPANIES

Amistad Research Center – Housed in Tilton Memorial Hall on the campus of Tulane University, The Amistad Research Center is committed to collecting, preserving, and providing open access to original materials that reference the social and cultural importance of America’s ethnic and racial history, the African Diaspora, human relations, and civil rights.

Ashé Cultural Arts Center – The mission of Ashé Cultural Arts Center is to use art and culture to support human, community, and economic development. The center’s innovative programming also utilizes culture to foster civic engagement.

Backstreet Cultural Museum – Located in the Tremé Neighborhood on North Villere, this museum is dedicated to documenting and celebrating the parading traditions (carnivals, second lines, and jazz funerals) in New Orleans.

Congo Square Preservation Society – Promotes awareness of Congo Square’s history via educational resources and activities, including field trips for schools. Programs include on-going drumming and dancing on Sunday afternoons in Congo Square, as well as “Living Classroom” fieldtrips for school groups.

Donald Harrison, Sr. Museum – Guardians Institute – This museum and institute honor the legacy of Big Chief Donald Harrison, Sr. and are dedicated to the development of youth through literacy along with the indigenous cultural arts of New Orleans, West Africa, and New World oral traditions.

House of Dance and Feathers – Located in the Lower Ninth Ward, this museum celebrates New Orleans street-culture and the city’s parading traditions.

New Orleans African American Museum (NOAAM) – Located in the Tremé Neighborhood, this museum preserves the history and elevates the art, culture, and contributions of African Americans in New Orleans and the African Diaspora.

New Orleans Jazz Museum – Celebrates the history of jazz through exhibits, educational programs, research facilities, and musical performances.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation Archive – Solely for scholarly research and interpretation, this archive identifies, collects, preserves jazz fest records, and materials significant to the city’s history and culture.

New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council – Consisting of chiefs from over a dozen tribes, this organization implements programs that promote interest among youth and provide positive social and community activities.

Tekrema Center for Art and Culture – Located in the Ninth Ward, Tekrema Center for Art and Culture is a cultural arts organization dedicated to the maintenance, development, and perseverance of African and African Diaspora art and culture.

TREMÉ’S PETIT JAZZ MUSEUM – Located in the Tremé Neighborhood, this museum shares the story of jazz right in the Tremé, where it all first started.

Sankofa Community Development Center – Located in the Ninth Ward, this nonprofit organization includes Sankofa Marketplace, a community hub for local growers, musicians, chefs, merchants, and artists.

Southern University at New Orleans Museum of Art (SUNOMA) – Located on the university’s campus, the museum is a permanent home for SUNO’s African Art Collection, which is considered one of the most influential African Art collections among universities. SUNOMA is an essential resource on the University campus that contributes significantly to the various educational programs and cultural activities of SUNO, the City of New Orleans, and beyond.

The McKenna Museums

Le Musée de f.p.c – This is a house museum that honors the legacy of New Orleans’ free people of color. It shares the untold stories of New Orleans’ free people of color through a collection of artwork and artifacts.

George and Leah McKenna Museum of African Art – This institution preserves and interprets the Black visual aesthetics in North America and beyond through engaging exhibits. GLMMAAA seeks to make African diaspora fine art accessible to visitors of all ages.

The Tate Etienne and Provost Center – Located in the lower-ninth ward, The TEP (Tate Etienne and Prevost) Interpretive Center’s mission is to teach, exhibit, and engage visitors in the history of civil rights in New Orleans.

Studio BE – StudioBE promotes the advancement of artists and engages in society’s most urgent questions through intentional programming, workshops, exhibitions, and resource allocation. Since 2016, it has developed into a landmark and cultural destination in New Orleans.

The Helis Foundation John Scott Center – Housed in Turners’ Hall, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities’ historic building in New Orleans’ central business and arts district, this gallery presents expansive ideas of heritage and symbolism interpreted through the lens of artist, educator, and humanist John T. Scott’s life, art, and legacy while promoting opportunities that nurture connections, enhance human potential, and drive social change.

Community Brook Center– More than a book store, Community Book Center is a social hub located in the Seventh Ward that has hosted local events and featured African-centered books, art, fabric, jewels, and an assortment of gifts and trinkets for more than 40 years.

Licensed Tour-Guide Companies:

All ‘Bout That Tours – A Black Heritage & Jazz Tour of New Orleans for everyone who wants to get off the beaten path!

Hidden-history Tours – Authentic presentations and powerful stories of struggles that have been kept hush-hush. But not anymore.

KnowNOLA Tours – Exemplary services in historical and cultural curation in New Orleans.

Our Sacred Stories Tours – An experience that brings you to the heart of New Orleans via community stories, research and documentation.

Tours by Judy – Our tours are more than a tour…they are an experience, a Ba “joie de vivre” experience (joy of living)! Owner and operator Judy Geddes Bajoie, a native of New Orleans and former history teacher, brings a unique perspective and authentic approach to each tour. Her Ba “joie de vivre” is present in all of her tours.

Island of Algiers Tours, LLC – This company is operated by Nu’Awlons (also Nawlins NateNate Scott and Benita W. Scott, both lifelong residents of New Orleans. It’s mission is to provide guided tours filled with facts, fiction, folklore and fun that share the rich multicultural history of New Orleans.