Some scholars believe that second-lines in New Orleans derive from West African practices of parading and drumming around a village in order to bless it or protect it from evil. But in New Orleans, the day’s activities involve more than parading and playing music, for the procession stops at a number of places where the social aid and pleasure club that is parading will salute another club. This takes on the aspect of ritual, and thus second-lines serve to build ties and alliances within New Orleans’ inner-city neighborhoods, 10/21/12