NEW ORLEANS — The city of New Orleans is honoring two cultural icons by renaming a pair of intersections in their memory. On Thursday, city council members passed ordinances to dedicate a stretch of road to singer Jean Knight and Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr.
Jean Knight Honorary Intersection
One of the newly named intersections will be located where Frenchmen Street meets North Claiborne Avenue, close to the home where Jean Knight, the Tremé artist, had her big break. This stretch of road will now be known as the Jean Knight Honorary Intersection.
Jean Knight’s career as an R&B and soul artist began in the local music scene, performing at venues like her cousin’s bar, Laura’s Place.
In 1971, she received national recognition with her hit song “Mr. Big Stuff,” which quickly climbed the charts, reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song stayed at the top for 16 weeks and sold over 3 million copies. “Mr. Big Stuff” is still considered a feminist anthem and remains a Mardi Gras staple.
Knight’s legacy extends beyond her music career. She was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and served on the Louisiana Music Commission. She also made significant contributions to Creole cuisine and Mardi Gras celebrations, and her lasting impact on New Orleans culture is recognized through the naming of this intersection in her honor.
Donald Harrison Sr. Honorary Intersection
The second intersection honors the late Mardi Gras Indian Chief, Donald Harrison Sr. It will be located at the corner of North Johnson and Independence Street, near his family’s longtime home and the museum that bears his name.
Donald Harrison Sr. was an influential figure in New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Indian community. He began masking with the White Eagles in 1949 and later led the Creole Wild West tribe.
In 1988, Harrison founded the Guardians of the Flame, a group focused on Afrocentrism with costumes inspired by Yoruba, Zulu, Mali, and ancient Benin traditions.
Harrison’s contribution to New Orleans’ cultural heritage was recognized when he was awarded the Mayor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1997. He passed away the following year, leaving behind a profound legacy in the city’s Mardi Gras Indian traditions.
