The Bayou Culture Collaborative is striving to make the working groups more inclusive with the Community Voices Project. With funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, this BCC project seeks to include Louisiana community members in Working Groups that may contribute to a better understanding and preservation of local traditions and knowledge in the face of environmental changes, such as land loss.

Our goal is to include tradition-bearers, community representatives, researchers, and interested members of Louisiana communities. By adding these perspectives to the project, they will help to craft a more accurate and authentic narrative of life in south Louisiana as we know it today.

Five new Community Fellows for 2025 have been chosen by the Bayou Culture Collaborative. The new Fellows come from a range of backgrounds, bringing a rich set of experiences to the BCC project. The new Fellows are:

• Tara Fitch, from Terrebonne Parish, archivist for the United Houma Nation who helps coordinate and document UHN events, 
• Gwen Lanoux, Vermilion Parish, a sugar cane farmer, leader of parish beautification efforts, and board member for local civic and business organizations. 
• Jennifer Morrison, Orleans Parish, a professor at Xavier University and folklorist documenting Mardi Gras traditions.
• Gwen Richard, Lafayette Parish, Community Development Director at Acadiana for the Arts and experienced nonprofit manager.
• Aronda Smith, Terrebonne Parish, entrepreneur and owner of Legacy Business, a management consulting firm, particularly focused on helping small businesses in the Bayou Region.