Zulu Parade 2022 Only Floats

Early in 1909, a group of laborers in a club named “The Tramps” went to the Pythian Theater to see a musical comedy that included a skit entitled, "There Never Was and Never Will Be a King Like Me" about the Zulu Tribe. According to legend, after seeing the skit, they retired to their meeting place (a room in the rear of a restaurant/bar in the 1100 block of Perdido Street), and emerged as Zulus. The rest, as they say, is history. Years of extensive research by Zulu's staff of historians, however, seem to indicate that Zulu's beginning was much more complicated than that.

Conversations and interviews with older members indicate that, back in the day, the city was divided into wards, and each ward had its own group or “Club.” The Tramps were one such group. The group that founded Zulu was probably made up of both members from the Tramps and other ward-based groups and members of a Benevolent Aid Society. Benevolent Societies were the first forms of insurance in the Black community. For a small amount of dues, members received financial help when they got sick or there was a funeral to pay for.

While the men marched in Mardi Gras as early as 1901, their first appearance as Zulus came in 1909, with William Story as King. The group wore raggedy pants, and had a Jubilee-singing quartet in front of and behind King Story. His costume of "lard can" crown and "banana stalk" scepter has been well-documented. The Kings following William Story in the early days were similarly attired.