Talk:James Lewis (Louisiana politician)

Discuss his circle
As noted in the book Aristocrats of Color and earlier accounts, Lewis was one of a circle of prominent African-American leaders in New Orleans who were of mixed race. New Orleans had a class of free people of color established in the colonial era, and they remained prominent in the city although many whites ignored the nuances of class in the African-American community. Several other of these leaders had received extra investment, education or freedom given by white fathers who cared about their sons' futures. Lewis met some of these future leaders working, as he did, on steamboats on the Mississippi as young men. This is worth exploring more.Parkwells (talk) 14:36, 5 March 2018 (UTC)