Early in 1909, a group of laborers organized a club named “The Tramps”. They went to the Pythian Theater to see a musical comedy performed by the Smart Set. The comedy included a skit entitled, “There Never Was and Never Will Be a King Like Me,” about the Zulu Tribe.
That is how Zulu began, as the many stories go.
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Research by the staff of historians for Mardi Gras indicate that Zulu’s beginning was complicated. The earliest signs of the organization came because the majority of these men belonged to 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 sick or financial aid when burying deceased members.
Interviews with older members indicate that the city was divided into wards and each ward had its own group or club. The Tramps were one such group. After seeing the skit, they retired to their meeting place and emerged as Zulus. This group was made up of members from the Tramps and the Benevolent Aid Society. Their first appearance as Zulus came in 1909, with William Story as King.
They wore raggedy pants and had a Jubilee-singing quartet in front of and behind King Story. His costume was a lard can crown and a banana stalk scepter. The Kings following William Story (William Crawford – 1910, Peter Williams – 1912, and Henry Harris – 1914) were similarly attired.
The first use of floats began in 1915 and was constructed on a spring wagon, using dry good boxes. The float was decorated with palmetto leaves and moss. It carried four Dukes along with the King. The humble beginning gave rise to the lavish floats we see in the Zulu parade today.
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