Before the beads start flying and the bass of the brass bands shakes the streets, a different kind of magic takes over New Orleans—one powered by bold costumes, fearless leadership, and Black women rewriting Mardi Gras history. Enter the Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale.
The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale is the first mystic krewe in New Orleans founded by Black women. Created in 2013, the krewe was designed to give Black women a Black woman led organization in the Mardi Gras krewe system to expand opportunities for women to participate in carnival leadership and cultural production.
“I brought my daughter out here specifically to see them; I want her to grow up seeing women of color celebrated like this,” said Gomez, a parade goer…