Reclaiming Legacy Studio

Fellow Good Troublemakers,

We ask you to join us in doing something that has never been done before. Please support the organization of New Orleans FIRST Civil War Reenactment honoring the first nationally canonized Black Civil War Hero, Captain André Cailloux. The Reclaiming Legacy Studio is organizing the reenactment of Cailloux’s historic 1863 Funeral procession that traveled 3.1 miles through the 7th, 6th and 3rd wards of New Orleans.

We are living in unprecedented times. As we speak, national monuments and historical placemaking exhibits telling the history of African-Americans are being torn down by the current administration. Voting rights are being rolled back and overturned. Political disenfranchisement is at an all time high.

Telling our full American history has never been as important as it is in this present moment. We hope that you will join us on the right side of history by supporting the reclaiming of Cailloux’s hard-earned yet intentionally suppressed legacy. Together, let us return what belonged to him all along. 

Please visit www.andrecaillouxproject.com for more information and to stay updated on the reenactment. You can go to www.reclaiminglegacy.org to learn about the work of The Reclaiming Legacy Studio.

NOTE: The Reclaiming Legacy Studio formerly Project is a newly recognized 501c3 non-profit. The André Cailloux project is a project of the Studio. You may still come across the old name from time to time.

RECLAIMING LEGACY STUDIO (formerly Project) addresses the environmental racism and cultural/educational violence that is caused by the suppression of Black history and the erasure of the contributions of Black Americans. Historical suppression has profound and lasting impacts on African-American people and communities. At the heart of this suppression is a systemic attempt to control narratives, undermine identity, and perpetuate racial inequity. When Black history is minimized or distorted, it not only affects how African-Americans are seen by others but also how we see ourselves. The absence of affirming historical narratives contributes to internalized racism, where individuals begin to believe the limiting or negative stereotypes reinforced by dominant culture. Economically, it contributes to the marginalization of Black innovation and labor. Many Black inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers have been omitted from historical narratives, resulting in underrepresentation at every level which limits access to resources and opportunities.