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ORAL HISTORY

Spirit Paris McIntyre

Spirit Paris McIntyre (they/them) was born in Hyattsville, Maryland in 1977. Their parents met at a church in Washington, D.C. that had a robust meal program for people who were unhoused. This program gave a young McIntyre a strong sense of the importance of community support. A musician and multi-disciplinary artist in New Orleans, McIntyre was a founding member of Southern Solidarity, a mutual aid group that aims to secure basic needs for unhoused people in New Orleans.

Southern Solidarity formed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A few organizers started the group to deliver meals to people living outside when residents were told to stay at home to avoid infection. It has since grown into an operation that provides basic hygiene kits, clothing, as well as food through sustained distributions. McIntyre helped prepare meals, initiated a closet car for clothing deliveries, and trained new volunteers on distribution routes. By late 2021, as they returned to pre-pandemic work, McIntyre shifted away from the group.