In shimmering, gleaming ball gowns and extravagantly sized hats heaped with brightly colored feathers, a new generation of young Black girls recently debuted in New Orleans society 100 years after the Young Men Illinois Club held its first ball.
Built by a then-new Black upper class that formed after the Civil War and Reconstruction, the club has been a beacon for New Orleans high society, bringing joy and celebration through the inequality of segregation, pride and cultural resilience through integration, and a sense of tradition and connection over 10 decades.
Now the club is bringing a renewed focus on legacy-building for future generations as it looks to the next 100 years…