Fulbright College Professor Honored by New Orleans City Council

Leigh Pryor Sparks

Robin Roberts with New Orleans City Council Proclamation.

Robin Roberts, professor in the Department of English and the Gender Studies Program, was recently honored by a New Orleans City Council Proclamation, signed by all seven city council members and decorated with the City Council seal.

The proclamation was presented to her at a dinner in the Rex Room at the famous Antoine's Restaurant by council member Kristin Gisleson Palmer.

The resolution reads in part: "The Council recognizes Robin Roberts, a professor at the University of Arkansas [who has co-authored] a unique and fascinating contribution to Mardi Gras lore in the post-Katrina era. Mardi Gras post-Katrina has become a true celebration of life— more democraticized and inclusive, especially with the rise of women participating at all levels. We want to thank you for telling this remarkable story."

Roberts, who was attending the dinner as part of her ongoing research, was not aware that the proclamation was going to be bestowed; she describes the honor as a "a career high, an acknowledgment that scholarly research has value to communities and that women's participation in cultural activities such as Carnival can and should be acknowledged and documented."