The Black Men of Labor (BMOL) will mark their 30th anniversary this October with the Noir Experience and Living Culture Celebration, a weeklong arts, culture, and music festival in the historic Tremé. Since 1994, BMOL has been dedicated to “Keeping New Orleans Traditional Jazz Music Alive and On The Streets,” blending syncopated dance, vibrant colors, and second line traditions into one of the city’s most anticipated fall events.
The festival features a mobile museum, dance workshops, and tributes to legendary jazz musicians and culture bearers, highlighting the African and African American contributions that shaped New Orleans. Drawing more than 200,000 participants each year, the event offers local families, visitors, and conventioneers a true immersion in the city’s traditions—all while generating a significant economic impact.
Funds raised support BMOL’s mission to educate, preserve, and perpetuate culture through programs in health, workforce development, youth empowerment, and financial literacy, ensuring opportunities for New Orleans’ low- to moderate-income residents.
The Black Men of Labor Team has served as Executive Producers for the past thirty years, producing and promoting festivals throughout New Orleans while sustaining the city’s traditional jazz scene. This year, they are blending newcomers with veteran performers to engage new audiences and honor the legacy of jazz. At the upcoming Gala, BMOL will present special honors to distinguished artists, including Seven-Time Grammy Award winner Terrence Blanchard (BMOL Lifetime Achievement Honors), singer and master strings practitioner Detroit Brooks (BMOL Lifetime Achievement Honors), trumpeter Wendell Brunious (BMOL Jazz Legacy Honors), vocalist Mrs. Wanda Rouzan (BMOL Jazz Legacy Honors), master trombonist Freddie Alonzo (BMOL Jazz Legacy Honors), bandleader and trumpeter Gregory Davis (BMOL Lifetime Achievement Honors), and jazz guitarist and banjo player Joe Cushenberry (BMOL Jazz Legacy Honors).
The Gala will be held on Friday, Oct. 24 at the New Orleans Sheraton Hotel Armstrong Ballroom, beginning promptly at 7 p.m.
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