Page 43 - The Jazzsipper Novel

42

THE JAZZ SIPPER

The people at the train station joined in; even Regina’s dad and mother joined
the procession. Regina began thinking about the origin of Second Lines or
Main Lines as they were know originally. She had did her senior year 12th
grade Term Paper on an article entitled Main Lines researched by Willie
Clark, and Copyright by Clark Companies of N.C., INC.

The article started by saying, A Main Line is the "main section or the members of the
actual club, that has the permit to parade. The parades consist of a larger element of
fans and the curious following that section of members. Those fans, admirers and
curious are the "second line" or part two of this planned street parade. These parades
have come to be called and known by this fact. Normally called, "Second Lines", the
sponsoring element is called the "Main Line" and is usually a Social (Aide) & Pleasure
Club of the neighborhood in which they are parading. By state and city ordinances and
law, very seldom does these parades take up routes on heavily traffic laden
thoroughfares in the city. Most are held in the back areas, visiting the stops that help
the clubs to continue the tradition. The Social Aide & Pleasure Club tradition is a
mixture of African traditions that came together to form one of the most unique forms
of celebration in the United States. The tradition's history, however, dates back to the
tribes in western Africa. The Perseverance Benevolent & Mutual Aid Association is
formed as the first of hundreds of such organizations.

The Association became the cornerstone of most of the African American
Social clubs, Ball Only clubs and Carnival Organizations. It is based on the
principles taught in Africa of coming together, especially in times of need, for
the collective good. Several other smaller Mutual Aid Associations were unofficially
recorded, but were nothing near the size of the original. The New Orleans Freedmen’s
Aid Association was founded 7 months after the Civil War, in November 1865. This
organization’s goal was to provide loans, assistance and legal counsel, and a means
of "education", to the newly freed slaves. Reading, writing, and learning a trade was