‘Only a Matter of Time’ First Black king and queen of ALLA reign over krewe’s festivities
24th February 2025 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
The Krewe of ALLA, the fifth oldest parading organization in New Orleans, will showcase its first Black king and queen when it rides through Uptown on Wednesday, February 26.
Gian Durand, founder and chief operating officer of Loving Hearts of Louisiana and secretary of the Louisiana Democratic Party, will reign as queen. Durand, who has been a rider in ALLA for four years, asked Adam Strickland, ALLA’s captain, about the process of becoming the queen. Strickland said he would let her know if there was an opening. Eventually, there was an opening and Durand filled it.
“I joke that I was the accidental queen,” Durand said.
In ALLA, the queen gets to choose her king. Durand has chosen James Carter, a former member of the New Orleans City Council and board member of the Port of New Orleans. This year’s theme is “Only a Matter of Time.”
The selection is a tribute to Dorothy Mae Taylor, whose 1992 law desegregated the Crescent City’s Mardi Gras krewes.
Durand, who grew up in New Orleans East said that during her childhood, the historic Black krewes of NOMTOC and Zulu were the only ones that featured riders who looked like her.
“If it wasn’t for Dorothy Mae Taylor, I wouldn’t be a queen,” Durand said. “She shouldn’t have had to pass a law to integrate parades. Mardi Gras is for everyone. It’s heartbreaking to be a child of color and not see people who look like you on a float.”
Durand wants the parade to be as inclusive as possible.
Under her reign, Durand says that there will be a lot of firsts. In addition to the history-making change in the krewe’s royal court, she announced that the 6th Ward Steppers will be the first second line band to march and play in a Mardi Gras parade. She also was excited about ALLA’s move from the first weekend of Mardi Gras to the less-crowded Wednesday night in the slot formerly occupied by Nyx.
“I am so stoked about the move to Wednesday night,” Durand said.
ALLA formed in Algiers, Louisiana (the name is an abbreviation for that area just as NOLA is an abbreviation for New Orleans, Louisiana) in November 1932. With the exception of a pause for World War II from 1942 to 1945, ALLA paraded on the Westbank until 2014 when it moved Uptown. 2014 was also the first year ALLA accepted female riders.
“The Krewe of ALLA has always been about bringing people together,” said Strickland in a press release. “Moving to this new time slot and celebrating our first Black king and queen is a testament to our commitment to progress, diversity, and honoring the unique spirit of Mardi Gras.”
The krewe of ALLA also has another important place in Mardi Gras history.
When Blaine Kern was an anonymous young artist, he painted a mural in a hospital to pay for his mother’s medical bills. ALLA’s captain at the time saw the mural; impressed, he contacted Blaine and his father, Roy, and asked them to design floats for the krewe. Thus a Mardi Gras float legacy was born.
The Krewe of ALLA will follow the Krewe of Druids, which begins its procession at 6:15 p.m.
Membership to Krewe of ALLA is open to individuals of any background aged 13 or older. For more information about the krewe, visit KreweOfAlla.net.
This article originally published in the February 24, 2025 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
