Last week, New Orleans lost a cultural giant with the death of Sylvester “Hawk” Francis, founder and curator of the Backstreet Cultural Museum. Mr. Francis died on September 1, 2020 from appendicitis. Geraldine Wyckoff’s obituary is here.

Considered to be the preeminent place to learn about the history of Mardi Gras Indian, social aid and pleasure clubs, second lines and jazz funeral culture, Backstreet—located in Treme—has become one of the city’s most treasured and unique local cultural institutions.

In 2004, Francis was the recipient of the Best of the Beat Heartbeat Award in recognition of his indelible contributions to the preservation of New Orleans heritage. He opened Backstreet Museum in 1999 and, at the time of his Best of the Beat Award, he told OffBeat:

“When word got out that I was going to open this museum, a lot of people started calling me up and saying what they had. ‘I got a suit. I got my grandfather’s this; my brother’s that.’ I had my head set on Indians and pictures and people started calling saying they had stuff from jazz funerals and second lines—all parts of the black culture. That’s how I got all this—everything’s been donated. I appreciated that to the highest.”

The funeral for Sylvester Francis will be held on Friday, September 11, 2020—his birthday—at the Treme Center. Visitation is from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. followed by a service beginning at 11 a.m. (service requires a wristband). Internment is at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. A repast will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in front of the Backstreet Cultural Museum and across the street in the churchyard next to St. Augustine Catholic Church.  A public drive-through viewing will be held from 5 pm to 7 pm  on Thursday, September 10 at D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Avenue.