Acceptance speech at the coronation December 9, 2025

I am so incredibly honored–and frankly still shocked–to have been selected to represent Queen Yolande of Aragon for 2025.

I want to start by thanking Antoinette di Alteriis, Amanda Helm, and the rest of the Krewe of Joan of Arc for seeing the good in what I do. Thank you to all my friends who came out tonight; I am so lucky you all are in my life. Thank you to my sons, Jefferson and Abel, for always reminding me what’s important. And thank you to my husband, Jermaine, for constantly challenging me to be the best version of myself, both at home and in my work with One Book One New Orleans.

For the past couple years, part of that work has been going inside jails and prisons to bring books to incarcerated readers. The question I’m most often asked is “aren’t you afraid to go in there?”. And I often think of the famous quote attributed to Joan of Arc: “I am not afraid…I was born to do this.”

While that quote is attributed to Saint Joan, we know she didn’t write it. We know that because she was illiterate.

Though it would be wonderful if illiteracy had been eradicated since Saint Joan’s time, unfortunately that is not the case. Still today, there are so many people in our community who cannot read and write. Yet, like Saint Joan, these folks are doing incredible things with the talents they’ve been given. They’re not leading armies, but they’re everyday heroes raising families, holding down jobs, and being good neighbors.

I have the privilege of seeing these everyday heroes improve their literacy skills in their adult education programs, and I am never happier than when I get to celebrate them achieving their educational goals. I hope to champion them the same way that Queen Yolande championed Saint Joan. Saint Joan was illiterate and by today’s standards lived in poverty, but Queen Yolande knew that her current circumstances did not define her future potential.

Queen Yolande also knew the power of collaboration and was instrumental in forming key political alliances. She spoke six languages, and she was constantly listening to and learning from those around her. I hope to emulate this quality in my work as well, especially as One Book One New Orleans forms partnerships with other organizations striving to make New Orleans a more literate city. In addition to partnering with adult education programs and the Orleans Parish Jail, we also partner with the New Orleans Public Library, Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners, WRBH Reading Radio, the Historic New Orleans Collection, and Belle Reve in order to get books into the hands of as many members of our community as possible. We know we cannot hope to fulfill our mission working alone, just as Queen Yolande knew that achieving her political goals could only be done in partnership with others.

Despite all her achievements, Queen Yolande does not typically get her place in the history books alongside King Charles and Saint Joan. Her role in France’s history goes largely under-recognized, and I have to wonder if she would be so overlooked if she were a man. As Nancy Goldstone writes of Queen Yolande “There is no more effective camouflage in history than to have been born a woman.” Even today, women’s accomplishments often remain hidden, overshadowed by the work of men. And so, we all need to take a lesson from Queen Yolande. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that, if given the proper resources and empowered to make decisions without being second-guessed, a woman could shine so brightly that it would be impossible to camouflage her brilliance.

I look forward to seeing you all under that shining Joan of Arc statue on January 6!

Bio

Megan Holt is Executive Director for One Book One New Orleans and the Words & Music Festival. She received a duel degree in English and Spanish in 2003, and a Ph.D in English and Comparative Literature in 2013. Also in 2013, she began her work in community literacy. In 2015, she was named one of Gambit’s 40 Under 40 and one of New Orleans Magazine’s People to Watch. Her 2021 TEDx Talk, “Becoming Part of the Story,” focuses on her work as an adult education advocate. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities recognized her efforts in 2023 with the Light Up for Literacy Award. Her most recent professional accomplishment is founding a book club inside Orleans Parish Jail, connecting local authors with incarcerated readers. When not working, Megan can be found hanging out with her husband and sons, reading a good book, or listening to live music.