By Andrew Nwacha

Sitting proudly on St. Claude, nestled in the vibrant community severely affected by Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Healing Center (NOHC) has become a symbol of strength and unity. Darlene Marcello felt just that pull when she first discovered the center. “I walked in and just felt the magic, I felt the community… I wanted to be a part of it in any way I could.” She came in to take a job as the president of the Center and hasn’t looked back since, but she’s far from the one who’s embraced the center with open arms. The St. Claude neighborhood itself treats the New Orleans Healing Center as a beacon of hope, where diversity and inclusivity converge; a site of authentic cultural production that has facilitated some of the most dynamic and original community events, dances, ceremonies, and celebrations that are taking place in the city today. The center’s missions as well as its policies create spaces, events, and outreach projects for a myriad of backgrounds, providing them the chance to feel comfortable, welcome, and cherished.

The center stands firm in its mission to not only rebuild the physical structures but also the lives and spirits of those it serves. Their credo, brainchild of Sallie Ann Glassman and several other founders, begins, “We believe our first responsibility is to our local and global community which includes the people and biosphere of New Orleans and the world at large, offering a holistic, safe, clean, sustainable center that provides services, products, and programs promoting physical, nutritional, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, economic, environmental, cultural, and civic well-being.” They wrote themselves a tall order, and it’s clear that this is more than one group could provide for a community alone. That’s why they don’t do the work alone. The center itself serves as a vast collection of community owned establishments, from a food-coop that was essential in nourishing families while the neighborhood weathered food insecurity to two men cutting hair, members of the community are able to bring their resources to the space and support one another. Queer folk, and voodoo practitioners, and chemists, and engineers, and restaurateurs, and artists, and musicians all get the chance to contribute their own piece to the economic rejuvenation. That’s a part of what makes the center such a good breeding ground for exciting interdisciplinary projects and events, where the community can maximize the efficacy of their contributions, and thus, produce more moments of genuine connection and appreciation.

The process of becoming a community member with business space in the building is unique, to say the least. Far from the intense pressures of the usual rental and leasing industry, at the healing center Marcello says “we don’t look at the businesses as tennents, we look at them as part of the healing center and the mission.” Partners who enter into such relationships are referred to as silos, and approval is contingent upon adherence to the center’s values. This helps ensure that the center remains both widely economically accessible as well as consistently available for new locally-owned businesses, providers, and services to address the needs of their own community in a space tailor made for it. “That’s magic in today’s world” says Darlene.

Looking around the center, it’s easy to see just how much life they support. A long-time service the NOHC provides comes through the food co-op. “When we opened the food co-op, the area was a food desert.” The food co-op provides the St. Claude area with fresh local produce, as well as several standard grocery products. “We want things within walking distance and accessible,” so the co-op wasn’t built outside of the community, it was placed at the heart of a well-loved street. 

The Healing Center is a rare, consistent provider of many basic necessities. Its unique silo partnership method allows for very adaptable services that can grow and develop along with the community members who use it. The healing isn’t just about the bare necessities, though, art and expression are important parts of the cultural community healing practices that take place in the building. The center offers a gathering space for art markets, food vendors, and a gallery. At one of the original silos, Café Istanbul, poetry, performance, and live music take the stage. It is here, you can find their most alluring, engaging, and current community engagement event: Ascendance.Ascendance is a boiler room style, ‘DJ-centric’ celebration in the heart of New Orleans, it serves as a powerful catalyst for building a resilient and inclusive community, amplifying black identity, embracing queer spaces, and fostering positive cultural expressions with a dedicated emphasis on the safety and comfort of its black, queer, and femme attendees. In short, Ascendance sits at the pinnacle of the community center’s mission, offering a one-of-a-kind glimpse into exactly how the healing center can transform Cafe Istanbul into such an unbelievably enriching event for all those who engage with the event, from the artists all the way to the attendees.

Ascendance is a stellar, often astrology-themed, example of success in action at the NOHC. It emerges as a vibrant cultural hub, uniting diverse communities in New Orleans and demonstrating the transformative potential of shared celebration and creative expression. The intersectionality of black identity and queer spaces takes center stage, illustrating the power of inclusivity in shaping a positive and affirming environment for attendees. Brianna Harris, a Tulane gender and sex studies research intern and Ascendance attendee shares, “It’s a place where I can really be myself and not feel judged or anything,” underscoring the Healing Center’s profound impact on individuals seeking a supportive and inclusive community. This is a far cry from the way that many black queer people feel in less inclusive spaces. “Sometimes it’s hard. I know what I want to wear out, but I know that some people might react badly.” Clothing is an avenue of personal expression and those who visit the NOHC are provided the space and protections to showcase and celebrate those choices. “I know it’s a risk to wear what I wear to this space but it’s one of the ways in which I express myself. I enjoy dressing pretty femme when I’m out because it makes me feel sexy and empowered. It’s a part of my identity, and honestly the considerations I have toward bad reactions are little to none. It’s more than just an outfit for me, it’s who I am. I try not to let anyone get in the way of that.” Ascendance deliberately carves out a space where black identity and queer expression converges, creating an environment that goes beyond celebration to foster a sense of belonging and unity. In its role as a cultural hub, Ascendance not only brings together diverse communities but also sets the stage for a profound redefinition of nightlife that transcends conventional boundaries.

By prioritizing the safety and comfort of black, queer, and femme attendees, Ascendance not only redefines the traditional notions of nightlife but also establishes itself as a symbol of empowerment, creating a space where marginalized identities can thrive. Nightlife isn’t without its drawbacks and often safety can be a concern. These safety concerns are primarily addressed through two main policies: a consent policy as well as a door policy that requires cisgender straight men to attend events accompanied by a femme or queer participant. “There aren’t a ton of places that put that kind of work in,” says black femme lesbian attendee Brianna Harris. “It’s nice to be in a space that puts work into its sexual climate.” It wasn’t always that way. According to a social media post outlining their reasons for instituting a new door policy, the event had been having problematic encounters by straight men against femmes and queer community members. In the post Ascendance says, “This decision was made in direct response to these ongoing safety issues and through feedback and discussion with dozens of community members of all genders, sexualities, races, and ethnicities.”This commitment to empowerment extends beyond the beats and rhythms, shaping Ascendance into more than just an event but a haven where attendees can fully express themselves without fear of judgment.

Don’t think that the performances and vendors showcased at the events are beyond the organizers scrutiny either! These serve as yet another way for Ascendance to support many of the other foundational services the NOHC provides. Ascendance often showcases food and drink vendors within the neighborhood. “They remix songs I grew up listening to,” says Harris. “ As a black lesbian who attends a private white institution, it’s hard to find environments where the music being played is familiar to me. I grew up on soul, R&B, and hip hop and although New Orleans is a black city rooted in black culture, the places in which I end up are rarely reflective of such, and it’s comforting to have this space where I know all parts of my identity. I don’t have to choose between my blackness and my queerness.” This feeling isn’t unprompted, many of the black artists who perform sets at Ascendance sample music that was memorable to them growing up. With a heavy infusion of culture as a catalyst, the music at Ascendance is a part of a larger mission: creating new culture in New Orleans. Ascendance goes beyond a simple DJ set; it becomes a dynamic force for cultural ascension, encouraging individuals to embrace their fullest potential, fostering a sense of belonging and community, and contributing to the creation of a positive and enduring cultural legacy in New Orleans. 

While Ascendance is a quite flashy and eye-catching project towards the center’s mission, some of the Healing Center’s other projects take a more nuanced, adaptive approach, one excellent example being the Lambda Center. There isn’t quite as much noise as Ascendance, but just as much community trust, support, and most importantly, accountability. Darlene offered some insight on exactly what community needs prompted the opening of the lambda space. “You could have a meeting somewhere else but I can tell you that before the center the meetings were always getting canceled… now it’s consistent and it’s there.” The Lambda Center, located within the NOHC, serves a consistent, queer safe space for seminal sobriety meetings and other healing projects and sober community events. 

The vast majority of sobriety meetings that take place are tied to specific religious ideologies. Without this space, trans and queer community members may have been forced to choose between spaces that they felt safe and welcome in and their invaluable access to the sober community. Comparing Ascendance and the Lambda Center serves to demonstrate the nuanced service that community centers like the NOHC can provide. These groups have almost paradoxically different needs while also having many shared demographics. Neither is one forgotten nor are they forced to fight over funding. For those at the healing center, the focus remains on maintaining a space that can foster growth for the entire neighborhood, and that includes every new face who walks in the door.“Whoever they are, they feel welcome and supported. Regardless of sexual orientation and skin color, we want this to feel like home.” 

Longitudinal community improvement projects such as the economic mission’s of the healing center don’t walk a path devoid of obstacles. COVID-19 and the massive economic stumbling block that came with it threatened to kill the city of New Orleans, where a significant portion of the city’s lifeblood is pumped in through tourism and commercialization ventures. As this lifeline was arrested under lockdown, the center could not retain every silo, and they lost some partners, including a bank, an important financial community resource. Navigating the complexities of the post-pandemic era, the Healing Center faced challenges head-on, adapting its strategies to ensure the survival of community-owned businesses and reaffirming its resilience as a vital force in the St. Claude neighborhood; now the center is looking towards the horizon. “We’re in a bit of a metamorphosis now. We worked with our silo members to keep as many businesses whole and alive as we could. We are in our post pandemic phase of bringing back events in full swing.” These events offer the center a chance to emphasize cultural connection as well, especially as various holidays arise throughout the year, and the center welcomes them all with open arms. From Dia de los Muertos to Fet Gede, the center becomes a place of latinx cultural celebration as well as of altars for the dead. Religious and cultural ceremonies reconnect and celebrate together, as the center puts the spotlight where the celebrations intertwine: spiritual healing and wellness.

The New Orleans Healing Center’s impacts seem  just about limitless, as they restore communities and individuals alike. Each individual who’s been involved with the center has been healed by it in some way, at least a little bit. The center helps produce the sounds, flavors, and aromas of new culture day by day. By sewing the seeds for many communities to connect with themselves and work with each other, the NOHC has created a radical site for the generation of new and potentially powerful cultural practices and traditions, just what St. Claude needed following Hurricane Katrina. Darlene shared that she too has found just what she needs at the center. COVID-19 was more than just an economic hardship, it was a physical health threat that took an unfortunate toll on some members of the community, including one of her own loved ones. “My husband got sick and passed…they literally helped me heal again.” It’s hard to imagine a more precious treasure, alive and well, the beating heart of St. Claude. The healing center gives individuals a chance to connect with communities and support, communities a chance to collectivize and celebrate, and those outside of those communities a way to integrate and immerse themselves in the culture and diversity of their homes. The Healing Center is helping create a robust new neighborhood, one that is both alive and well. As Darlene said, “It’s given me way more than I have given. I am the small part; I’m the background. The center and the people there are what make it special.”