To be Creole
The non-Anglo culture and identity that flourished in Louisiana before 1803
Born in Louisiana
Native to Louisaina
Francophone
Spoke the the French, Creole and/or Spanish language
Catholic
of the Roman
Catholic faith
Creole Louisiana
Imagine Louisiana at a time when English-speaking Americans were seen as immigrants and foreigners by the pre-existing Native American, European (mainly French and Spanish), and West-African (both enslaved and free) populations of the former colony, founded in 1699.
About us
What is Creole?
“Creole” is the non-Anglo culture and identity that flourished in Louisiana before the territory was sold to the United States in 1803.
In the 19th century, Creole identity was primarily defined by three elements: native birth in Louisiana, the French, Creole and/or Spanish language, and the Roman Catholic faith. Historically, Creole identity transcended both race and a person’s legal status as free or enslaved.
Today, “Creole” is recognized as a blend of cultural influences from the three groups that were present in colonial, pre-1803 Louisiana: Native American, Western European and West African.
PROJECTS & PROGRAMMING
2025
Interpretive panels in Louisiana Creole
(LCCH, Government of Québec, Digihub)
2021
Louisiana Creole Voices:
Preserving Recordings of Enslaved People Along the Mississippi River (LCCH, LEH, NEH)
Scholarships
The Laura Center Scholarship for Creole Excellence seeks to provide students with supportive funding to attend a Louisiana university or technical college. It is our hope that recipients will use their degree or certification to promote Louisiana culture to future generations. . Each year, four $500 scholarships will be awarded to students who meet the scholarship requirements, exemplify a desire to promote Louisiana Heritage, and actively engage in efforts to educate others on the rich history of Louisiana.
Staff & Board
Coming Soon
Taalib Pierre-Auguste, member of the Jou Jòrdi team, is the former president of C.R.E.O.L.E. Inc. and a member of the Creole cultural movement. He speaks French and Creole. He has written three books: Koushma: Kondamé-la, Le Langaj a Lèspwa, and Kréyol dan la Gazèt, published by Les Éditions Tintamarre.
Jay Schexnaydre is the President/CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, the Lafourche Parish Tourist Commission. He previously worked for 20 years as operations manager at Laura Plantation. Jay is President of the German-Acadian Coast Historical and Genealogical Society and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of Louisiana’s family connections.
Lindie Guidry-Neal was born and raised Down the Bayou in Lafourche Parish. She cherishes her Indigenous, Cajun, and Creole roots. Growing up in a remote, water-logged environment and partially raised by her Francophone grandparents, she has always felt a natural pull and deep respect for our unique Louisiana culture, wetlands, and ways of being. As an interracial person, Lindie identifies as Louisianaise because this has been, to her, the one demonym that respectfully encompasses all that she is, leaving a sort of loving room for all that she might become as well. In her adulthood, she has contributed to the work and story-telling at Laura: Louisiana’s Creole HeritageSite for over a decade and now serves as the company’s Operations Manager. Lindie’s personal studies include traditional folk and plant medicine, restorative healing practices, history, anthropology, environmentalism, and regenerative social justice.
Brittany Cochran Jones, Pharm.D. is a native of Vacherie, Louisiana, where she was raised in the shadow of Laura Plantation—a place deeply intertwined with her family’s history, as many of her ancestors were enslaved there. A 2003 graduate of St. James High School, she earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2009 and completed a pharmacy residency at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia. For more than 17 years, Dr. Jones has dedicated her career to institutional pharmacy, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the medications and treatment they need to manage chronic illnesses. Her professional life reflects a steadfast commitment to service, advocacy, and improving the quality of life for others. Inspired by her family’s resilience and legacy, Dr. Jones is passionate about genealogy and preserving the stories of her ancestors. She believes that honoring the past is essential to understanding the present and shaping a more informed future. As a member of the Board of Directors for The Laura Center for Creole Heritage, Dr. Jones is honored to support the Center’s mission to preserve and share the rich history, culture, and lived experiences of Louisiana’s Creole communities. She brings both her professional expertise and her personal connection to Laura Plantation to help ensure these stories are preserved for future generations. Dr. Jones is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She enjoys reading, researching her family’s history, and investing in the people and communities she loves. Brittany and her husband, Dante, are the proud parents of two children.
Dianne Honoré Montana grew up in her family’s Creole restaurant in Tremé. This laid the foundation for “Gumbo Marie’s” work as a historic interpreter, Creole culture activist, teaching artist, and event producer.
For nearly 30 years, Joseph Dunn’s understanding of Louisiana’s distinct culture, heritage languages and history has led him to work at the highest levels of the state’s tourism and cultural industries. In his longstanding role as Director of Public Relations and Marketing at Laura: Louisiana’s Creole Heritage Site, Joseph participates in research projects and the construction of the interpretive narrative of the historic site. He is a past executive director of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), and he held positions at the Consulate General of France in New Orleans, the Office of Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, and the Louisiana Office of Tourism. He is a recognized thought-leader in matters related to the social, professional, and economic value of Louisiana’s French and Creole heritage languages, and he consults and collaborates on a variety of projects to that end. He regularly contributes to articles and publications, and he can be seen and heard on French-language television and radio broadcasts in which he unceasingly defends and promotes the historic and contemporary diversity of Louisiana’s French and Creole-speaking populations that include people of Native American, African and European descent. Joseph Dunn is a Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite (France) and in 2022, he was inducted into the Ordre des Francophones d’Amérique (Québec). He has served as the Honorary Consul of Canada in New Orleans since January 2024.
Does Creole Heritage excite you?
Ready to collaborate on one of our upcoming projects? Do you have an idea to bring to us? Explore our site and find out how you can support us and we can support you. Together, we’ll make it happen.
Contact us
We’d love to hear from you !
