Coronavirus ravages storied New Orleans Mardi Gras group

On Fat Tuesday, 51-year-old Cornell Charles was taking part in a storied New Orleans Mardi Gras trition central to city’s African American community — driving a car in Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club’s pare.

A month later his wife of three deces was watching him take his last breath, a victim of coronavirus epidemic raging through city.

“I talked to him. I told him how much I was going to miss him,” said his wife, Nicole, describing those last minutes on March 24. “He literally took his last breath in front of my face and that was it.”

In a city ravd by coronavirus outbreak , members of Zulu krewe, one of groups that sponsors Mardi Gras pares and balls, have paid a heavy price. Four of fraternal organization’s members have died from coronavirus-related complications, said Zulu President Elroy A. James. Two ors have also died since pandemic began, though it’s t kwn if ir deaths were caused by virus, he said.

An ditional 20 have tested positive. Some are self-quarantining at home, some were hospitalized and released, while ors are still hospitalized, James said.

James spends his days on phone, texting with and calling board members and officers of roughly 800-member Zulu organization.

“Members are calling every day checking on each or: ‘How’s this member doing? How’s this family member doing?’” he said.

It’s also taken a financial toll. Many Zulu members work in hospitality sector and are out of work, James said, a widespre problem in a city with an ecomy closely tied to restaurants, bars and nightclubs w largely shuttered due to statewide stay-at-home order.

“Zulu is really a microcosm of city of New Orleans,” said state Sen. Troy Carter, a longtime Zulu member. “We’re me up of every social and ecomic background that you can imagine. Our members come from all different walks of life.”

predominantly African American club is in some ways a reflection of how disease has affected black community in Louisiana. More than 70 percent of state’s coronavirus patients who have died are black, according to state data released this week.

For most people, coronavirus causes mild symptoms like fever and a cough that resolve in two to three weeks. But for some, especially older ults and people with existing health problems, more severe symptoms can occur, including pneumonia, that can le to death.

For over a century Zulu members have pared for Mardi Gras in ir distinctive grass skirts and black face inspired by a 1909 vaudeville skit, according to a history compiled for group’s 100-year anniversary in 2009. It was t just a Mardi Gras pare group but one of benevolent societies that played an important role in African American history by providing life insurance or funeral costs to its dues-paying members.

Over deces Zulu Mardi Gras pares have featured ever-larger floats, with costumed float riders tossing out bes and trinkets, including group’s hand-decorated coconuts, among event’s most-coveted throws. most famous man to reign as Zulu king was Louis Armstrong in 1949. Members are also elected to be one of group’s coveted characters, such as Mr. Big Stuff or Big Shot.

“body has more fun than Zulu,” said Mardi Gras historian, Arthur Hardy. But, he emphasized, re’s a lot more to group than pare. Zulu is kwn for it’s philanthropic works all year round, including Junior Zulu program that reaches out to disvantd children and an annual Christmas bike giveaway.

That spirit of service is what drew Charles, said his wife, Nicole.

“ brorhood, what y have given to community. He loved that. My husband loved pares, so that was definitely an attraction, but he liked what he saw outside of fun part of it,” she said.

Charles started work every day by 3 a.m. as a courier delivering medication to hospitals and medical facilities. But his real passion, his wife said, was coaching young people. football, baseball and basketball practices and games kept “Dickey” as he was often called, busy, but far of two daughters always me time for family, his wife said.

She has been amazed at outpouring of support from people telling her how much her husband meant to m. His likely would have been a big funeral with one of jazz pares often seen in New Orleans funerals, but social distancing guidelines meant only a handful of people could be re.

Nicole hopes coronavirus risk will have receded by June 23 — his birthday — so that family and friends can come toger for memorial service he deserves.

Lost opportunities to come toger one last time to hor members is being felt keenly. Carter, state senator, said a Zulu member’s service in rmal times might include a performance by organization’s gospel choir, a proclamation re by group’s president and a musical procession that begins on a somber te and ends with a “full fledged energetic celebration of life.”

“I’m t sure if anyone else in world does it way New Orleans does,” he said.

organization plans a large memorial service in safer future, complete with a “grand second-line,” said James, group’s president, referring to a pare during which onlookers fall in behind band and mourners, forming a “second line.”

group has weared hard times before. In aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, at least 10 members died, many members’ homes were flooded and group’s hequarters on Bro Street was swamped with water. But come Mardi Gras 2006 y pared, believing it was an important part of city’s rebuilding.

James said he’s confident that Zulu will play a role in city’s post-coronavirus resurgence.“We also need to show world that city of New Orleans will return after this pandemic,” he said.