Like French, Creole has declined after the 19th and 20th centuries. However, due to efforts of creolists, such as Deborah Clifton, Sybil Klein, Ulysse Ricard, and Herbert Wiltz, people have become more interested in the language. But the movement that we recognize today was launched by Dr. Christophe Landry and his team who made resources to allow Creoles to learn their language. Due to their work, we can write and read our language.
A movement that’s moving
2020 was historic for all. People experienced a pandemic that left them stuck in their homes, but for the Creole community another book was released. On October 1st, a guide written by Adrien Guillory-Chatman, Nathan Wendte, Oliver Mayeux, and Herbert Wiltz called “Ti liv kréyol” was published. It serves as an introduction to the language for people wanting to learn.
In 2022, “Févi,” the first book completely written in the language, was published by Les Éditions Tintamarrre. Févi is a poetry book collected and edited by Jonathan Mayers and Oliver Mayeux, two men who work hard for the development of the language. A few months later, Taalib Pierre-Auguste published his book, “Koushma: Kondamé-la.” Then another called “Le Langaj a Lèspwa.”
In the same year, Chinbo Inc was founded to advance the language in the phsyical sector and online. However! This progress doesn’t stop a writing and organizations, but our language was and is being shown on the television screen. In 2023, Lucky Luke Production finished producing a short film in Creole, Tambou. With a casting that included Lance E. Nichols, Tiffany Guillory-Thomas, and Christopher Robinson to help the language breath again. The film was screened across Louisiana from NUNU to West Baton Rouge Museum. Three years later after Covid-19, Corey Ledet shocked the community with his album Médikamen. It was all in Creole and included the voice of Ben Guiné, an old storyteller known around Saint Martin parish. He also gave songs, such as “Gònn lamézon démin,” a new life.
In 2024, Chinbo, under the direction of Clif St. Laurent, launched the first kamp kréyol at West Baton Rouge Museum. It was an immersive event that plunged people into learning Creole without speaking a bit of English. A response to the lack of Creole-speaking schools. It gave the youth and adults an environment where they could listen, chat, and learn. It was a success that was followed by two new editions in 2025 and 2026. You can read a participant’s experience by Logan Delafosse on our website.
Yet, Kamp Kréyol was not the only thing that happened in 2024. It started at the tail end of the exposition Mitoloji Latannyèr that was curated by Jonathan Mayers with local artists and writers, like Chase Julien, Adrien Guillory-Chatman, David Cheramie, and Alex PoeticSoul Johnson. It included more than forty works with audio visual elements and texts written in the language. Later in 2025, “Kréyol dan la Gazèt,” written by Taalib Pierre-Auguste, was published by Les Éditions Tintamarre. One cannot forget Babydoll Countess who released her first bounce song in Creole, “Çé pa asé.”
Right now, 2026 is promising good things. At the start of the year, Cedric Watson surprised people with a new album in Creole, playing traditional music with juré while he honored the legacy of his late friend Chris Stafford. It was followed by Jermaine du sud who released his first Creole album in May 2026. It reached a larger crowd beyond Louisiana’s borders when he submitted his music video “Dan Vi-çila” to Tiny Desk. The music is not stopping. A.ZA released her R&B EP, “Pa Fé Kom Si,” to tease the release of her album later this year.
We do not know the future of the language, but we know that it is the people who will decide. They will decide if it becomes a key element of the community, if it is used in everyday life, or if it will continue to decrease in usage. Therefore, for us Jou Jòrdi, we are here to support all Creole speakers and members of the community whether inside or outside of Louisiana.
