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HIDDEN HISTORY
How The Inspiring Story of Willie V. Piazza Became Hidden History
Even though she successfully challenged racial segregation in Storyville, New Orleans' red-light district
Hidden history is a phrase written in the passive tense. As a result, it leaves out important plot details, such as who buried the story and for what purpose. American society seems to idolize the perfect victim, someone who is supposedly respectful and upright and just so happens to experience injustice, and in doing so, marginalizes those whose lives don't check all these socially restrictive boxes. For example, it's unlikely many Americans have heard about Willie V. Piazza, a New Orleans Madam who successfully challenged racial segregation in Storyville because of the nature of her work.
When you think of racial segregation in America, you likely envision Black people forced to sit on the back of a bus or drink from a separate water fountain, but those are only a few examples of the absurdity of Southern life. When historians say Jim Crow laws "controlled and confined every part of American life," they're not just whistling Dixie. For instance, in New Orleans, even the red light district was racially segregated. While prostitution was legal in the city from 1897 to 1917 within…
