We’re trying to be brick houses out here, build some, so we came up with a clever name in the hopes that maybe we’d catch her attention.”įor a lunchtime break during the build, the Queen Diva herself joined NOAHH on site to teach twerking lessons, and the Brick Freedias were happy to learn. “We wanted to come up with an amazing name for a bunch of women to get out here,” said Emily Shaya, co-captain of the Brick Freedias, “and one of our idols in New Orleans is Big Freedia. The Brick Freedias were inspired by local bounce superstar and friend of NOAHH Big Freedia. Each team brought together a group of 15 women to raise money and help build. Big Freedia shares a lot of the same values as we do - working with her was a no-brainer.Only in New Orleans would Women Build have a team called “the Brick Freedias.” In preparation for the event, NOAHH recruited local women leaders to help fundraise for Monica’s home. Plus, she has a long history of giving back to her New Orleans community. “Big Freedia really focuses on inclusion and bringing people together. “The partnership is a very exciting fit,” said Washington, a Louisiana native. “Food is my second love (after music), and to create an ice cream flavor of my own was so much fun.” She added that Ben & Jerry’s was one of the first major brands that she remembers to promote social activism and inclusion. “This is so exciting for me!” Big Freedia said at the event. Big Freedia also took part in a Q&A with Simone Washington, our Social Equity Manager. While fans dug in, they learned more about No Kid Hungry, a non-profit organization whose goal is to feed underserved children in New Orleans got a first-listen of Big Freedia’s newest song “Chasing Rainbows” featuring Ke$ha, set to be released in August and learned more about how we’re working with Big Freedia to create change in our communities. But we have to apologize to all you ice cream and beignet fans: Bouncing Beignets was available exclusively at the partnership launch party. They did and the rest is history,” said Big Freedia of how the partnership came to life.Īt the event Saturday at Republic, we scooped up sundaes made with Bouncing Beignets, a vanilla ice cream with a bourbon caramel swirl, served with a fresh beignet. We tagged Ben & Jerry’s, hoping they would see it. “My team and I created our own flavor with a mock Ben & Jerry’s pint and posted it on my Instagram. We were so flattered that we whipped up our own batch and unveiled the flavor today at Republic, one of Big Freedia’s favorite NOLA hotspots. We’ve recently joined forces with Big Freedia to launch a one-time-only batch of Big Freedia’s Bouncing Beignets, an ice cream creation the Queen of Bounce first created herself and shared via Instagram.

If you’re familiar with the gotta-get-up-and-dance rhythms of New Orleans bounce music, then you know about the enigmatic musical energy of Big Freedia, the self-styled Queen of Bounce.