“Culture preserves the map and records of past journeys so that no generation can destroy the route.” Wendell Berry

COVID’s pernicious effects go beyond health, affecting the vibrancy of our culture and community. The Pandemic has fostered individualism over community; indifference to our fellow citizens; waning interest in promoting the common good or the general welfare; and made personal safety and gain the dominant value. Such effects harm the fabric of local society in that we lose a sense of who we are.

Reemphasizing our local culture can combat these ill-effects. Our local culture helps to form our identity by defining how we relate to each other. Our culture provides us with our sense of identity and how we fit into the larger picture. Our culture and heritage nourishes us and provides a sense of wellbeing in that it places us within a larger context of past and present.

There is also a strong economic growth and development aspect to cultural preservation. A vibrant culture promotes economic growth by presenting an image of vitality and vibrancy that attracts businesses and new residents. If a local culture is depressed, the local economy will remain depressed. Reinforcing our local culture can be an economic shot to mitigate the Pandemic’s economic ill effects.

But culture is not automatically preserved. It takes organizations and institutions to preserve culture particularly when local heritage and culture has been buffeted by the COVID Pandemic.

Fortunately, New Iberia has four major organizations that help to foster a sense of cultural awareness and preserve New Iberia’s unique history and heritage — The Bayou Teche Museum, IPAL, the Iberia Cultural Resources Association and the African-American Historical Society. The selfless and tireless individuals who toil for these organizations deserve our praise and support. Without them the Pandemic could transform New Iberia into another bland, generic community. Not only do we need to praise them but we need to join these groups and financially support their efforts.

“One of the signs of a great society is the diligence with which it passes culture from one generation to the next. When one generation no longer esteems its own heritage and fails to pass the torch to its children, it is saying in essence that the very foundational principles and experiences that make the society what it is are no longer valid. This leaves that generation without any sense of definition or direction.” Winston Churchill

DR. JOHN W. RAY

BUTTE, MONTANA