UPDATE: The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale parade will now roll at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale, United Way’s New Orleans Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
join forces to promote early literacy at Mardi Gras
NEW ORLEANS – The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale (MKFF) is bringing the joy of reading to the streets of New Orleans this Mardi Gras season through a new partnership with the New Orleans Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (NOLA-GLR), an initiative led by United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s (UWSELA). Together, the partners will distribute culturally relevant, age-appropriate books to children and families along the parade route on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 11 a.m., encouraging young readers to catch more than beads this year.
The book giveaway, organized in recognition of Early Ed Month 2025 in Louisiana, highlights the critical role of early literacy in a child’s education and future success. Research shows that children who are reading at grade level by the end of third grade are more likely to graduate high school and thrive in their careers.
The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale parade will start at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Napoleon Avenue and Magazine Street in New Orleans and continue along St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street and Tchoupitoulas Street before ending at Tchoupitoulas and Poydras Street. Families are encouraged to line the parade route, enjoy the vibrant celebration and catch books alongside the traditional beads and throws.
“As an organization deeply committed to uplifting our community, we are thrilled to incorporate literacy into our parade experience,” said Dr. Takeisha C. Davis, a founding MKFF member. “By putting books directly into the hands of children and empowering them to see themselves in the stories, we’re making reading more accessible and showing young minds that literacy can be as exciting as a Mardi Gras celebration.”
The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale, founded in 2013 as the first Mardi Gras krewe established by African American women for African American women, has long been dedicated to empowering youth through mentorship programs like Future Femmes and Le Jeune Femmes. This partnership with NOLA-GLR allows MKFF to expand its impact by making early literacy a community priority.
UWSELA’s New Orleans Campaign for Grade-Level Reading works to ensure all students in the city are reading at grade level by third grade, with a goal of 80% proficiency among economically disadvantaged students by 2027. Through this collaboration, the campaign aims to reach thousands of families in a culturally significant setting, reinforcing the importance of literacy through the power of tradition.
“Mardi Gras is about celebration and community, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by sharing the gift of reading,” said Todd Battiste, UWSELA’s senior vice president for education and youth initiatives. “Through this partnership, we’re making books an essential part of the Mardi Gras experience and ensuring more children in New Orleans have the resources they need to become confident, capable readers.”
For more information on the Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale and its community initiatives, visit MKFemmeFatale.org.
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About United Way of Southeast Louisiana
For more than 100 years, United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) has been a leader and trusted partner in improving lives and making a lasting difference. We fight to eradicate poverty by preparing people for quality jobs, growing incomes, and affording better health and education opportunities throughout Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes. We have a bold vision of equitable communities where all individuals are healthy, educated, and financially stable – and we have a plan. United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s Blueprint for Prosperity guides all strategic investments in programs, initiatives, collaborations, volunteerism, and advocacy aimed at tackling poverty. For more information, please visit UnitedWaySELA.org. Find us on social: @UnitedWaySELA.