Still Rising: Free People of Color in St. Landry Parish

In March 2023, the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center opened their first new exhibit in over a decade. The exhibit focused on the large and impactful Free People of Color community in St. Landry Parish in the pre-Civil War Era. I served as the research assistant for the permanent exhibit. Additionally, I was able to oversee the addition interactive elements to the exhibit including the large map on the floor which allows visitors to stand on areas within St. Landry Parish and a “What does Creole mean to me?” wall which empowered visitor’s to define the word creole for themselves.