Museums and Meaning-Making: Historical Narratives, Baby Dolls, and Teaching Voodoo in New Orleans

Scholarly narratives and local museums often focus on distinguishing geographical origins and interpretations of culture, racialized identities, resistance, and/or religion for behaviors designated as “voodoo.” When are such practices in everyday New Orleanian life referred to, accepted, and rejected within such interpretations? Museum Studies students in a class taught by the author visited local museum displays about “voodoo” and wrote term papers that comment on these practices within the contexts of their quotidian social groups. The Historic New Orleans Voodoo Museum describes the Mardi Gras character Baby Doll as a “voodoo” practice, and the author reflects upon her long term participation and expression as such a Baby Doll and in Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs. Baby Dolls are united in dance performance, and function as a social group that provides support among emotionally marginalized women. Descriptions of phenomena through external form are contrasted with the meanings attributed by participants.