THE KONGO ANCESTRY OF MARDI GRAS INDIAN PERFORMANCES: A HUMANITIES EDUCATION PROJECT BY & FOR NEW ORLEANS CULTURE-BEARERS [??FEED THE SECOND LINE (FTSL) SEEKS A $25,000 GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES TO CREATE A HISTORY PROGRAM EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF THE ANCIENT KONGO KINGDOM AND AFRICAN CATHOLICISM ON NEW ORLEANS? MARDI GRAS INDIAN TRADITIONS. THROUGH MONTHLY? RHYTHM WORKSHOPS,? FOCUSED ON COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSIONS AND EDUCATIONAL LESSONS INVOLVING MARDI GRAS INDIANS, SCHOLARS, AND COMMUNITY EXPERTS, THE PROGRAM AIMS TO DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND AFRICAN DIASPORIC INFLUENCES ON MARDI GRAS INDIAN PRACTICES. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, FTSL SEEKS TO CAPTURE SCHOLARLY KNOWLEDGE AND COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS TO PROMOTE A NUANCED APPRECIATION OF MARDI GRAS INDIAN HISTORY AND TRADITIONS, STRENGTHENING COLLECTIVE MEMORY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.]