Beads Won: Politics in Mardi Gras parades

Delaney Nolan discusses the anti-ICE paraders during Mardi Gras.

This week on Behind The Lens, a group of protesters walked the St. Charles route ahead of the Legion of Mars parade, which last year featured armed ICE officers and an ICE tactical vehicle that at one point blasted Vanilla Ice’s song, “Ice, Ice, Baby.” The volunteers spent hours creating hundreds of signs, stickers and wallet-sized “know your rights” cards to make clear: ‘ICE in our drinks, not in our streets’ this Carnival.

Our guest this week is The Lens reporter Delaney Nolan.

Music by “Big Chief” by Professor Longhair, “Mardi Gras Mambo” by The Meters, and “The Second Line” by Stop, Inc.

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Carolyne Heldman

Carolyne Heldman has been in media for 35 years, most recently as Executive Director at an NPR member station in Colorado where she was responsible for new multi-platform content initiatives, strategic planning, research, branding, and non-traditional revenue generation. During her tenure she also created and launched four weekly news, public affairs and cultural affairs programs and monthly live Town Hall broadcasts. Heldman moved to New Orleans last summer with her husband and canine companion and they live happily in The Marigny.