releases: https://figures.house.gov/media/in-the-news/alabama-congressional-delegation-unites-crown-mobile-birthplace-mardi-gras
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://figures.house.gov/media/in-the-news/alabama-congressional-delegation-unites-crown-mobile-birthplace-mardi-gras | Alabama Congressional delegation unites to crown Mobile the 'Birthplace of Mardi Gras' | 2026-02-10 | 2026 | 2026-02 | Democrat | House | AL | Shomari Figures | F000481 | figures.house.gov | figures | https://figures.house.gov/media | scraper | Mardi Gras in Mobile has always been about more than moon pies, mystic societies, and the sounds of bass drums echoing down Royal Street. It’s a season when the city gathers residents and visitors alike to revel in tradition, spectacle, and the kind of communal joy that feels stitched into the Gulf Coast’s DNA. This year, it’s also celebrating something far rarer: bipartisanship. In a moment of unusual unity, Alabama’s congressional delegation has adopted a resolution declaring Mobile the nation’s “Birthplace of Mardi Gras.” The announcement arrived in a joint news release featuring quotes from all seven members of Alabama’s U.S. House delegation. The declaration rekindles Mobile’s long-running rivalry with New Orleans—a mostly playful, sometimes pointed tug-of-war over Carnival bragging rights. Mobile’s claim rests on history: the city hosted the first organized Mardi Gras celebration in what would become the United States in 1703. That was 73 years before the nation’s founding. New Orleans officials often acknowledge those origins, even as they point to their own city’s role in transforming Mardi Gras into a global cultural phenomenon. “Mardi Gras didn’t start somewhere else and eventually find its way to Mobile, it started right here in 1703,” said U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R‑Enterprise, whose district includes part of Mobile and all of Baldwin County—another hotbed of parades and balls. “For more than 300 years, the people of Mobile have celebrated Mardi Gras with parades, balls, and community, marking the close of Carnival and the beginning of Lent,” Moore said. “This tradition reflects the shared culture and community found on the Gulf Coast, passed down generation after generation. Mobile was the original home of Mardi Gras in America, and this resolution makes sure that history is recognized and remembered.” Democratic U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, a Mobile native, echoed the sentiment. While many associate Mardi Gras with New Orleans, he said, “it is a historical fact that Mardi Gras began on the banks of the Mobile Bay in 1703.” “Since then, it has blossomed into one of the greatest and most well-known cultural celebrations in America,” Figures said. “I’m proud to write this historical fact into the Congressional Record. New Orleans, you’re welcome.” Lawmakers from districts far from the Gulf Coast also embraced the resolution, noting that Mardi Gras in Mobile is not only historic but the largest annual festival in Alabama. “Alabama is a state steeped in history and remarkable firsts, from the very first 911 call made in my hometown here in the 4th Congressional District, to the birthplace of Mardi Gras in Mobile,” said U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R‑Haleyville. “Long before the tradition spread across the country, it was Mobile that created it, shaping a celebration that has become part of our national culture. Alabama hasn’t just witnessed history, we’ve helped shape it.” Other lawmakers weighed in: | 1 | 2026-05-22T06:27:39Z | 2026-05-22T06:29:18Z |