- Cherice Harrison-Nelson
- Visiting Scholar, Fall 2009 TOPIC: "If You Don't Like What the Big Queen Says, Just..."
- Posted October 4, 2009
Cherice Harrison-Nelson
is an educator, artist, and third generation Mardi Gras Indian. She is member of the Guardians of the Flame Cultural Arts Society and curator of the
Mardi
Gras Indian Hall of Fame. Production credits include: a video
documentary on the Mardi Gras Indian customs, The Mardi Gras Indian Tradition: A View from Within and a CD New-Way-Pocky-Way that includes the obscure
Mardi Gras Indian chant from the 1920s, Chong
Chong. She recently completed
a successful run of the Mardi Gras Indian musical, “If You Don’t Like What the
Big Queen Says, Just . . .” in New Orleans.
Cherice is affectionately known as
"African Lady," "Jazz Teacher," or "the Queen" by
her students. Harrison-Nelson
strives to instill enthusiasm for learning and appreciation of their rich cultural
history and legacy for the cultural traditions of Louisiana through the Indigenous Fine Arts Series, a program
she developed in 1985. The program is currently in five schools in the Greater
New Orleans area. Collaboratively, with her Mother’s organization, Guardians
Institute, she has worked to distribute over 15,000 new books to area students
through the Big Chief Donald Harrison,
Sr. Book Club. She is the
recipient of several awards and honors, including a Fulbright Scholarship, the
Mayor's Arts Award, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities’ Elementary Level
Teacher of the Year Award, and the Louisiana
Federation of Jazz - Educator's Award.
WORKPLAN AS VISITING SCHOLAR @NCCROW, Fall 2009: "If You Don't Like What the Big Queen Says, Just..."
Revision of "If You Don't Like What the Big Queen Says, Just..."
Documentary collaboration with Sophielab.
