Jack Conrad Thibodaux Massacre Foundation

04/08/2026

Join us at GenFest 2026!

The Jack Conrad Thibodaux Massacre Foundation will be hosting a table at GenFest on April 11, 2026, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Milne Recreational Center.

We would love to connect with our friends, supporters, and community members! Stop by to learn more about our work and engage in meaningful conversations about genealogical research in the African American community, including the unique challenges faced by descendants of the American chattel slavery system.

Come share, learn, and honor our stories together. We look forward to seeing you there!

03/24/2026

Podcast Feature Announcement: Wiletta Ferdinand on GardeVoirCi

March 2026

We are proud to announce that Wiletta Ferdinand, founder of the Jack Conrad Thibodaux Massacre initiative, was recently featured in an interview with Nicholls State University Mass Communication Departmentfor the Garde Voir Ci podcast.
Garde Voir Ci is a storytelling platform that highlights the history, culture, and lived experiences of communities across South Louisiana through multimedia journalism and podcasting.
During this special conversation, Ms. Ferdinand shares insights into her work preserving the history and legacy of the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre, as well as the importance of storytelling, education, and community remembrance.
This collaboration reflects a continued commitment to amplifying important historical narratives and engaging new audiences through student-led media and scholarship.
The podcast episode will be released as part of an upcoming issue. We will share updates and a direct link as soon as it becomes available.
Thank you for your continued support!

09/27/2025

🌱 2025 Day of Remembrance 🌱
The 1887 Thibodaux Massacre

Theme: “They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.”
Friday, November 28, 2025
Time: TBA
1123 Bourbon Street, Thibodaux, LA

Join us as we honor the lives lost and the resilience of those who endured the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre.

For questions or more information, please email: [email protected]

06/24/2025

Thank you to Abigail Gauthier and Isabelle Pinto of the Houma Times for featuring the Historical Marker Event.

https://houmatimes.com/news/locals-unveil-a-historical-marker-of-the-1887-thibodaux-massacre/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLHZkdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmI35UapSftHN1cM1tuDvuRaYKCKG6pJ9f-WTTzDbBm57Q1qHZ1cqcEKUrYz_aem_BqvFSRxffoynXPVF0PjzqQ

Located at 1123 Bourbon St. in Thibodaux, the new historical marker commemorates the massacre which occurred on a sugar cane plantation on November 23, 1887.

06/24/2025

“We Remember. We Honor. We Rise.” – Jack Conrad Thibodaux Massacre Foundation

June 21, 2025 | Thibodaux, Louisiana Father Bergeron blesses the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre Historical Marker. Draped in cloth, the Historical Marker awaited its unveiling before the gathered crowd.The military rifles stood ready before the ceremony commenced.After the unveiling, Father Bergeron delive...

06/24/2025

THANK YOU! 🙏🏾❤️

We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us for the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre Historical Marker Ceremony. Your presence, and powerful energy helped make this a truly historic day of remembrance, and community.

To every supporter who stood with us to honor the legacy of Jack Conrad and the countless lives lost—we thank you. Together, we are making sure this history is not erased but uplifted.

Save the date for the Day of Remembrance Celebration in November, where we will reflect on our culture abnd heritage, while uplifting the memory of our ancestors.

06/21/2025

You’re invited to join us!

06/13/2025

Meet our host for the 1887 Historical Marker Ceremony, Harambee Payton.

Harambee Payton
Visual Artist • Poet • Historian • Cultural Bearer

Harambee Payton is a visual artist, poet, and historian from the historic 7th Ward of New Orleans. He is the great-great-grandson of Private Jack Conrad, a Civil War veteran and survivor of the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre.

Harambee—also known as Barry—is a member of Skull and Bones, the traditional Mardi Gras masking organization led by cultural preservationist Sunpie Barnes. A dynamic performer, Barry has appeared in films and television and has shared the stage with legendary musicians at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

He chronicles the everyday life, history, and culture of New Orleans through his YouTube channel and social media platforms, where he serves as a digital griot and cultural storyteller.

Deeply committed to genealogy and ancestral memory, Harambee recently traveled to Sierra Leone after tracing his lineage through genealogical research and discovering his ancestral roots there.

A longtime supporter of the Jack Conrad Foundation, Harambee has been actively involved since 2017. He is currently working on a forthcoming book that will document his journey as an artist and cultural worker in New Orleans.

Today, he is honored to serve as Master of Ceremonies and help lead this historic moment of remembrance, truth, and healing.

06/11/2025

Private Jack Conrad was born in 1834 on the Calliouette Plantation in Louisiana. He served in the Civil War from 1862-1865. Private Conrad had three children from his marriage to Mary Conrad: Grant and Clara. Grant was murdered during the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre as he slept in his bed. Private Conrad was wounded from gunshots but survived the massacre.

Wiletta Ferdinand applied for Historical marker status for the burial site of the victims and the ceremony is Saturday June 21st. The Public is invited.

06/10/2025

Join us! We have 11 more days until the Historical Marker Ceremony for the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre. The ceremony is Saturday June 21 at 3:00 pm. The location is 1123 Bourbon Street. The ceremony will be outdoors so be prepared.

05/27/2025

Take a trip down memory lane with this Houma Today article from nearly ten years ago when the Jack Conrad Thibodaux Massacre Foundation commemorated the 1887 Thibodaux Massacre at American Legion Post 513.
Pictured Rita Williams

https://www.houmatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/2016/11/26/thibodaux-massacre-commemoration/762645007/

--Thibodaux Massacre commemoration

A ceremony commemorating the Thibodaux Massacre was held Friday at the American Legion Post 513 in Thibodaux. Chris Heller/Staff -- houmatoday/dailycomet