Every time I research and share these stories, I find a new favorite.
But this one?
This one hit me different.
Her name was Rose Nicaud. And honestly? She should be on a mural, in the textbooks, and in every New Orleans tour guide. But like so many powerful Black women in history—her name’s been pushed to the side.
So let me tell you why we’re bringing her back to the front.
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Long Before Café du Monde…
When people think of coffee in New Orleans, they usually think of Café du Monde. Beignets, powdered sugar, café au lait—that whole scene.
But what if I told you it didn’t start there?
What if I told you that before souvenir mugs and sugar-covered fingers, there was a woman—an enslaved woman—who built the foundation for all of it?
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Rose Nicaud Was Born Into Slavery—and Still Built a Legacy
Rose was born in 1812 and was sold six different times in her life. Six.
But despite that, she managed to build one of the most iconic legacies this city has ever known.
And barely anybody knows it.
Rose used the little freedom she had to hustle. On Sundays, she pushed a portable coffee stand through the streets of the French Market, serving hot, fresh coffee to folks coming out of Mass at St. Louis Cathedral.
People loved it. They said her coffee was smooth, strong, and “like the benediction after prayer.”
(And no, I still don’t know exactly what that means, but I’m gonna assume it was a compliment.)
But let me be clear—this wasn’t no Keurig.
She brewed each cup by hand, slow-drip style, over a charcoal fire. One cup at a time. Strong, rich, soulful.
Real New Orleans.
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She Bought Her Own Freedom—and Opened a Shop
Rose made so much money selling coffee that by the age of 28, she was able to buy her own freedom.
And she didn’t stop there.
She opened a permanent coffee stand inside the French Market, in the Hall of Vegetables. She was the first Black woman—possibly the first person ever—to run a real-deal coffee business in that space.
But the best part?
She inspired other Black women to do the same.
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She Sparked a Movement
Rose didn’t just make money. She made moves.
Her success sparked a whole community of free Black women vendors in New Orleans.
Now excuse my French—literally, because I’m not great at it—but they were called les vendeuses.
These women sold food, flowers, pralines—you name it. And Rose showed them it was possible. She made sure the French Market had flavor, soul, and history in every corner.
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How Did a Slave Even Do All This?
If you’re wondering how an enslaved woman was able to run a coffee business in the first place—here’s the deal.
New Orleans was different.
Back then, it had one of the largest populations of free Black people in the country. And even though slavery was still very real, New Orleans had this strange system where slavery and freedom existed side by side.
Most enslaved people were allowed to have Sundays off.
Rose took full advantage of that.
She used her Sundays to sell coffee after church and was allowed to keep a portion of what she made. She saved every coin. And that’s how she bought her freedom.
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Rose Came First—But Café du Monde Got the Credit
Let’s not forget: Café du Monde didn’t open until 1862.
By then, Rose had already been running things for decades.
She laid the foundation. She built the culture.
Long before coffee got overpriced and overhyped—Rose Nicaud was out there, pouring culture into every cup.
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And Yet… Most People Still Don’t Know Her Name
This woman helped shape a whole city.
She changed the game.
She left behind a legacy.
And still—most people don’t even know who she was.
This should absolutely be in textbooks. It should be taught in schools. It should be on t-shirts and signs and murals. Because it’s not just Black history. It’s not just women’s history.
It’s New Orleans history.
It’s American history.
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And Let Me Tell Y’all This One Last Thing…
I didn’t even realize this part until I started working on this video.
I had taken my kids to Café du Monde one night. We were walking over by the river to check out the bridge. I was recording, just casually filming the moment.
And I noticed something.
Right there on the wall at Café du Monde…
There’s a painting of Rose Nicaud, serving coffee.
She’s right there. In plain sight.
And it hit me—so many of our stories are just like that.
Right in front of us. But if we don’t know them… we don’t even realize the power we’re walking past.
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This Is Why We Tell These Stories
Because when we let them write our history… they put themselves on the label.
So yeah—this page?
We’re not just posting.
We’re preserving.
And we’re just getting started.
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