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As I wrote in my essay on The Root, Mardi Gras is definitely "More Than Beads, Booze and Breasts [11]." Here in this photo, I've collected beads, doubloons (fake coins) and toys thrown from massive decorated floats. I did not have to flash any body parts to earn these trinkets – just a smile.
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Here I am, with my uncle Kevin Williams, cousin Lorna Williams and friend Huenita Pierce as we leave the Bacchus parade typically held on the last weekend before Fat Tuesday.
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My family has been partying with the Zulu krewe for as long as I can remember. This year, the Zulu "Social Aid and Pleasure Club [15]" is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Here member Alfred Washington greets ball guests with a traditional second line dance with a decorated umbrella.
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The royal court wears elaborate costumes to the Carnival ball, a formal event hosted by the Zulu club on the last Friday before Mardi Gras.
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Ornate handmade regalia made to look like traditional Native-American dress is an important fixture of Mardi Gras. Legend has it that this tradition was started by slaves who dressed up as Native Americans because blacks were banned from participating in the annual festivities.
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It is not uncommon to come across an array of signs during Mardi Gras, like this one that my friends and I found in the French Quarter in 2003.
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Ornate headdresses that reflect our African roots, worn here by a member of the royal Zulu court, are an integral part of the carnival.
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Of course, it isn't a party in New Orleans unless there's music. Here a brass band serenades the crowd with second line music following the presentation of the royal court at a Zulu ball.
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Here a male member of the Zulu court presents his ornate scepter to the crowd.
10 of 10 My cousins Lacie, Amber and Isaiah Williams proudly show off their beads on the sidelines of a parade. Here's to making the Zulu tradition live on another 100 years!
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[11] http://www.theroot.com/views/more-beads-booze-and-boobs
[12] http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/fashion-week-la-michelle
[13] http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/you-got-robbed
[14] http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/post-it-new-civil-rights-stamp-collection
[15] http://www.kreweofzulu.com/
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