Masked for Battle: Mardi Gras Indian Culture Confronts Covid" captures the stories of Black masking Indians, devastated by the covid-19 pandemic but equally determined to persevere. Legendary culture-bearers were among the first casualties as the city shut down days after Mardi Gras 2020. The lockdown also deprived Black masking Indians of practices essential to the century-old tradition: communal craft work, community gatherings, and open-air street performances. With a second consecutive Carnival canceled in 2021, some wondered if they would ever return to the streets in intricately crafted suits of beads and feathers—or if their unique New Orleans tradition would become another victim of the pandemic.