Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MACCNO)
John Dunlop
Since 2012, the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MACCNO) has been organizing, empowering, and advocating with New Orleans’ musicians, artists, traditional culture bearers, and other members and allies of the cultural community.
MACCNO’s roots lie in a community meeting called by prominent musicians in order to address a crackdown on small New Orleans music venues carried out in advance of New Orleans hosting Super Bowl XLVII. At this meeting, it quickly became clear that the problems extended far beyond the silencing of a few music clubs. Complaints included an unclear permitting process and overly restrictive zoning ordinance that drastically limited live music citywide; police harassment of brass bands and street musicians; widespread financial instability and lack of economic opportunity for the cultural community; political disenfranchisement of musicians, artists, and culture bearers, and many more. Realizing that such a broad range of topics could not be adequately resolved in even several such meetings, a core group of participants continued to meet weekly to strategize, and MaCCNO was born.
Today, MACCNO maintains their grassroots ethos and approach as they work at the intersection of culture, policy, and social justice. While they continue to address immediate issues like the loss of live music permits and the inconsistent enforcement of street performance laws, they know that for New Orleans’ culture to survive and thrive—and for musicians, artists, and traditional culture bearers to enjoy a good quality of life—they must address the larger systemic issues they face, like the lack of affordable housing, low wages, and a massive income disparity. They also know that no one knows the issues the cultural community face, and the solution to those issues, better than the members of cultural community themselves. They work everyday to make sure those voices are heard, and that the solutions become reality.
The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans is a registered 501c3 non-profit corporation, and all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Click on the image for more information, and to donate, click here.
