Creoles - Who we are

Creole People (creoles of color) are a blend of the "New World," People, with heavy roots in the Caribbean area...Records from ship logs, Census reports, birth and death records, and many other sources which date back to 1519 A.D. show these Creoles or people of color to have co-existed with the Native peoples in these areas.

The origins of Creole "People of color" also known as "Gens de Couleur" date back to the 15th Century, Senegal Africa and even before. The word Creole, (people of color) does not denote African, but rather a blend of New World People who have roots going back to West Africa and Europe (by definition ..... Afro-European) The name was created by people of African descent born in the New World to differentiate them from people born who possessed a culture apart from theirs.

The Brazilian people first coined the expression in the early 16th century. The Spanish adopted the word "Creole" to denote their own, who were born in the New World and the French, later copied this word form the Spanish. From this successive use of the word it somehow came to denote Creole people from Louisiana. The descendants of the White French aristocracy who settled New Orleans also adopted this word "Creole." However in Louisiana, since it was already in use by frenchmen of European extraction it became known to refer to white French men as well as people of color of New Orleans.

Further more! As Creole History goes, these Creoles living in Louisiana inter-mixed with those free people of color who thus became the offsprings of these people. Due to the Spanish and French Codes during this period, marriages between the 2 groups were not allowed, although, many times it happened. Thus the separation! Many Creoles of color, as a matter of record can trace their ancestry to these original people. The Creole (people of color) living in Louisiana during the time, inter-mixed with Black slaves, Indian and Acadian people who were already here or who had settled in Louisiana.

(footnote)
Antoine Meffre Rouzan, 1833
Portrait by Eugene Deveria
From the Collections of the Louisiana State Museum
(Monsieur Rousan, a Creole of Color)

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the mixing of many Races

The Spanish garrisons that were located in various parts of Louisiana during the Spanish occupation, along with other subgroups like the Redbones, Germans, Italians, and other ethnics that made up the rural population of Louisiana. All came together to form this melting pot of ethnic cultures in which the Creole shared.

After Napoleon's Defeat in Haiti, many white people and free people of color fled the island for refugee in Louisiana, Cuba, and the tiny Caribbean islands. This intermixing of races and cultures produced what we now know today in Louisiana as the offspring of Genes de Colour/ Creoles along with the white French Creoles. They have contributed in every way to the development of Louisiana and American society. Not only did they participate in all major wars for the preservation of American Independence (from the war of independence to the civil war) but without the Louisiana purchases, (land occupied by these people) there would be no America as we see it today!

	The Cane River Creoles

After the American take over of the Louisiana territory, "Creoles of color" were then stripped of their rights, property, and basic freedom, and were forcefully subjugated into slavery and third class citizen status! Some fled to Mexico and the Caribbean areas rather than subjugate themselves. But most of these people of color stayed on and managed to survive throughout this period, contributing much to the development of Louisiana. As time has gone by, the government and decision makers of Louisiana continue to equate "Creoles" as second-class citizens. Refusing to acknowledge their cultural presence and their contributions to the state of Louisiana.

The Frenchmen and the Spaniards gave to us their names and Christianity. Along with the Africans and the Indians, they tinted our skins and altered our consciousness.

To them we attribute whatever the eyes might behold. But our souls! Ah, but our invisible souls, we owe to those endurable Gens de couleur (people of color).

For they kept our souls together, by giving us pride and dignity; industry and independence; talents and fortitude. And all in all, a most glorious and unique cultural heritage.

View the video.. click here	Too White to be Black... Too Black to be White

"The Genesis"