Keep It In The Culture Cooperative Empowers New Orleans Culture Bearers with Affordable Materials and Community Programs

KIITC is supported by Cooperation N.O., a network of local organizations dedicated to creating sustainable economic growth through worker-owned businesses.

NEW ORLEANS, LA, UNITED STATES, November 20, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Since January 2023, Keep It In The Culture, a worker-owned cooperative, has been committed to supporting the New Orleans culture bearer community by offering affordable craft and costume materials. Located at 3400 Claiborne Avenue, Suite D, New Orleans, Louisiana 70125 the cooperative provides essential items like plumes, beads, and other materials required to create the iconic suits worn by the Mardi Gras Indians, also known as Black Masking Indians—an art form both costly and labor-intensive to maintain.

Founded by passionate advocates and culture bearers Nick Holmes, Walter Sandifer, Jr. (aka Big Chief Beautiful), and Diego Pinzon, Keep It In The Culture was created to combat the financial strain placed on local artisans by large retailers. The cooperative emphasizes keeping resources within the community, allowing dollars to be reinvested locally instead of flowing to outside corporations.

The Mardi Gras Indian suits, deeply rooted in cultural heritage, can take six to nine months to create and cost thousands of dollars in materials. Big Chief Beautiful, a co-founder and a 30-year Mardi Gras Indian, shares his expertise through crafting and beading workshops. He offers community members the opportunity to learn and expand their creative skills, ensuring cultural knowledge is passed down to future generations.

"We're here to support our culture bearers by making necessary supplies affordable and accessible," said co-founder Walter Sandifer, Jr.. "When you spend with us, you're not just shopping—you're investing in New Orleans culture and tradition."

In addition to selling materials, the cooperative provides community-based initiatives like hydration stations during Super Sunday events and school supply drives. These programs directly benefit local culture bearers, offering much-needed resources that big-box stores do not supply.

Keep It In The Culture is supported by Cooperation New Orleans, a network of local organizations dedicated to creating sustainable economic growth through worker-owned businesses. The co-op also takes a stand against the global impact of sweatshop production by championing community ownership and protecting traditional Black arts from commodification.

For more information on Keep It In The Culture and its efforts to preserve New Orleans' cultural heritage, visit www.keepitintheculture.shop or contact them at (504) 517-8366.

About Keep It In The Culture Cooperative
Keep It In The Culture is a worker-owned cooperative based in New Orleans, Louisiana, dedicated to providing affordable craft and costume materials to the city's culture bearers. Founded in 2023, the co-op supports the traditional arts of the Mardi Gras Indians and other cultural communities in New Orleans by offering essential supplies at affordable prices. Through their initiatives, including beading workshops, school supply drives, and hydration stations, Keep It In The Culture is committed to preserving and promoting New Orleans' rich cultural heritage.

Walter "Big Chief Beautiful" Sandifer, Jr.,
Keep It In the Culture
+1 504-517-8366
keepitintheculture504@gmail.com
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