Social Aid & Pleasure Club · Est. 1993
Rolls Labor Day weekend · Downtown
Black Men of Labor
The Parade
Black Men of Labor rolls on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, stepping off from Sweet Lorraine’s, 1931 St. Claude Ave. with a traditional brass band. The exact route is released before the parade.
Dressed in modern African formal attire and marching to the old-line jazz repertoire, the club is one of the most tradition-minded parading organizations in the city — a living tribute to Danny Barker.
Established 1993 · Downtown New Orleans
Tradition, Kept.
Black Men of Labor was formed in 1993 in the wake of jazz mentor Danny Barker’s funeral, when Fred Johnson, Gregg Stafford, and Benny Jones vowed to keep the traditional brass band procession alive. The club honors New Orleans’ working people — especially the musicians who carry the old-line jazz tradition.
Every Labor Day weekend the club steps off from Sweet Lorraine’s on St. Claude in modern African formal attire, backed by a traditional brass band playing the old repertoire. Beyond the parade, the Men of Labor give loans to members and hand out school supplies and Christmas toys in the community.
For the workers. For the tradition.
Downtown · St. Claude Ave.
