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Elders Sacred Talk Series: Big Chief Tyrone Casby and Beverly Stanton McKenna
Wed, November 19th at 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
This conversation between Big Chief Tyrone Casby and Beverly Stanton McKenna will be moderated by Big Chief Dow Edwards.
About the Speakers
Big Chief Tyrone Casby
Tyrone Casby is the legendary Big Chief of the Mohawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indian Tribe and a distinguished high school principal, coach and mentor. He is lauded for perpetuating cultural pride in classrooms and communities on the Westbank of New Orleans. Casby became a part of the masking culture at the age of six following his older brother, Wildman Ralph “Tickleman” Casby, of the Mohawk Hunters, through Algiers on Mardi Gras Day. He first masked with the tribe (whose first Big Chief was his uncle, Frank Casby, Sr) in 1966 as 2nd Spy Boy. He was appointed 1st Chief in 1979 and the next year, he became the Big Chief.
Today, averaging 30 members, the Mohawk Hunters is one of the largest tribes in New Orleans and the only one on the West Bank. Members have performed in Sri Lanka, Guatemala and Honduras. Local programs include sewing and beading patches with prison inmates. Casby has masked for 58 years lifting the spirits of people in Algiers, perpetuating the culture, promoting positive family and community values, and inspiring those who cross his path.
Beverly Stanton McKenna
Beverly Stanton McKenna is a publisher, cultural preservationist, community leader and business investor. She and her life partner (Dr. Dwight McKenna) have spent decades building institutions that make New Orleans more informed, just, and deeply connected to its own history. Together they revived The New Orleans Tribune, a storied Black newspaper; created two museums (The Le Musée de f.p.c. and The George & Lean McKenna Museum of African American Art); and played a pivotal role in the revitalization of Bayou Road business district.
McKenna, a trained journalist and cultural historian, earned a degree in English from Tennessee State University before teaching in Washington, D.C. and working as a public information officer for the U.S. Virgin Islands. In New Orleans, she has mentored emerging writers and editors, and has helped position the Tribune as a trusted voice on policy, politics, education, and the daily lives of Black New Orleanians.
About Elders Sacred Talks and Art Thrives
NOMA’s Art Thrives initiative presents creative aging programs designed to support visitors ages 55 and up. In addition to art-making workshops, courses, and opportunities for hands-on art-making, the Elders Sacred Talk Series provides a platform for older adults in New Orleans to share their experiences with audiences of all ages.
The Elders Sacred Talk Series is presented in partnership between NOMA and the Congo Square Preservation Society. Art Thrives is supported by E.A. Michelson Philanthropy.