What is the Midlo Center? Perhaps you know the name through Gwendolyn Midlo Hall—a foundational historian of slavery in Louisiana and the larger Atlantic world. Or perhaps you know her father Herman Midlo, a civil rights lawyer in 1930s New Orleans, and his wife Ethel who dedicated our Center in his memory.
Whether you know our name through Gwen, Herman, Ethel, or not at all – we invite you to come and learn about how our work carries on their legacies. On the eve of our 35th anniversary, The Midlo Center remains a key incubator of public humanities research in New Orleans. Through oral histories, exhibitions, books, podcasts, digital projects, archaeology, and public events we create public-facing histories in collaboration with our community partners. From family businesses to labor organizing, slavery to the work of freedom seekers, and forgotten intellectual circles to storied music venues, we support the rich community history of New Orleans.