A Major Piece of Louisiana History that’s not in Louisiana?
Africans were enslaved and brought to Louisiana in the early 18th century. They came from ethnicities such as the Fon, Bamana, Wolof, Fulani, Kongo, Mina, Igbo and more. These ethnicities contributed greatly to Louisiana Creole culture because many of the foods that we eat, the words we say and the customs we practice were because of them. But the place many of them landed wasn't in what is today Louisiana.
The original colonizers landed in Old Biloxi in 1699 which is today Ocean Springs, Mississippi. In 1702 they left to found Mobile (Alabama) which was the 1st Capital of French Louisiana. In 1720 they made (Nouveau) Biloxi the capital. A year prior in 1719 the first Africans arrived in Biloxi and their arrival marked the beginning of the changes that would make our culture what it is today.
To commemorate their arrival the NAACP erected a 2 sided Middle Passage marker on Biloxi beach giving a history of who came and when. This Middle Passage marker is rather important for Mississippi Gulf Coast people specifically the Creole community because this particular history is not something that is taught well. The Creole community is strong but it's also heavily assimilated. Some people are of Creole descent and don't identify with the community and see the state of Louisiana as a totally different place when in reality the state line has zero cultural relevance to us. This is also true for Louisiana residents because both sides must understand that we're one people who share a history. If you look through your family tree you may find a connection to Biloxi. The history & current status of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Creole community will be expounded upon in detail in a future article.
The marker is located across from the Biloxi Lighthouse in the beachside parking lot
1050 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530
Link to website:
Daniele Simpson
Daniele Simpson is Mississippi Gulf Coast Creole and resident of Gulfport, Mississippi. He's a veteran of military & civilian aerospace & an independent contractor for Ancestry.com who finds his interests in Creole cultural sustainment, history, African drums, Capoeira and being a polyglot.
