History on the march: first African American majorette

Submitted photos
Between 1978 and 1981, Jo-Lynn Dardar (Young) made history as the first African American majorette of the MCHS Marching Tiger Band at Morgan City High School in Morgan City. She progressed to co-captain in her second year, marking a significant milestone in Black history. Following graduation,  she attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette (now known as UL Lafayette) and majored in general studies and business development. Subsequently, Dardar relocated to New Orleans to pursue a career in cosmetology, graduating in 1997. She became a teacher in 2005 at William Hart Elementary in Gretna. But before her first year, she was displaced from her home due to Hurricane Katrina and relocated with her family to Houston, where she currently resides. She is still an educator in the Spring Independent School District.  Dardar was honored with the first 2024-2025 Guest Teacher Of The Year Award. She says her mission is to continue to empower a new generation of innovators and trailblazers.