Krewe of Nyx founder, Julie Lea, faced backlash from 27 of her krewe lieutenants over a tweet some perceived to be offensive to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The lieutenants demanded Lea resign, which she refused and suggested the lieutenants can resign their memberships if they are unhappy in the krewe, which they did.
Carnival Historian Arthur Hardy looks at what this controversy could mean for the future of one of the largest krewes to parade during Mardi Gras.
“Will it just fall under its own weight because of what happened? Or is there a way to put this thing back together? Will she come forward with some kind of compromise? At this point it doesn’t look good but let’s hope there is a way to put it back together,” said Hardy.
Hardy says each krewe organization has its own bylaws governing the krewe’s board members.
“In the case of Nyx, the Captain is the absolute authority and I’ve seen the bylaws and it basically says that she can serve if she wants to and if she resigns she can name a successor,” Hardy said. “She can’t be voted out by the board or the members. So, she is in good shape in terms of not being ousted, but that doesn’t mean the krewe can’t implode. She could win the battle but lose the war and there is so much going on right now we don’t know what will happen.”
With New Orleans shutting down amid the coronavirus pandemic and the economic aftermath, the real questions remains; will there even be a Mardi Gras in 2021?
“Again, more questions than answers and I wish I was smart enough to say here is what is going to happen,” Hardy said. “But, I really do think we are going to have a Mardi Gras and we certainly need one.”