Katy Morlas Shannon received her master’s degree in History from Louisiana State
University in 2005. She has dedicated her career as a professional historian to uncovering
the stories of enslaved people. She was instrumental in the early stages of research
for Whitney Plantation, created a searchable online database of over 400 enslaved
individuals at Evergreen Plantation, and co-curated an exhibit about the enslaved
community at Laura Plantation.
Her book Antoine of Oak Alley: The Unlikely Origin of Pecans and the Enslaved
Gardener Who Cultivated Them was published in November 2021 by Pelican Press and
received the Phillis Wheatley Award for the best biography of 2022 from the Sons and
Daughters of the Middle Passage.
Morlas Shannon was the historian who uncovered the identity and story of an enslaved child in the painting Bélizaire and the Frey Children, circa 1837, attributed to Jacques Amans. Bélizaire’s story and historian Katy Morlas Shannon were featured in The New York Times mini-documentary that first released in August 2023. “His Name Was Bélizaire” has had 1.7 million views on YouTube as of October 1, 2023. The story also appeared on the front page of the New York Times on August 14, 2023.
Morlas Shannon is available to conduct research for select projects and offers genealogical services and historic home histories. She provides expert consultations for historical accuracy in films, documentaries, and publications. Morlas Shannon also has experience as a public speaker. She appeared at “Hidden No More,” a symposium dedicated to genealogical research of enslaved families, alongside Rachel Swarns, author of the New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice The 272.
She has also given presentations at the Southern Historical Association and the
Louisiana Historical Association and has received many speaking requests. She has
been a guest on numerous podcasts and was a panelist at the 2023 New Orleans
Book Festival. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Times-Picayune, the
Advocate, the Daily Advertiser, and Antiques Magazine.
