Six decades after the desegregation of New Orleans schools, the legacy of resilience and hope endures. Leona Tate, one of the courageous trailblazers who integrated McDonogh #19 Elementary School in 1960, continues to champion civil rights. Joined by Gail Etienne and Tessie Prevost, Tate broke barriers as they became the first black students to attend an integrated public school in Louisiana.
In the wake of Barack Obama’s historic presidency, Tate founded the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, aiming to provide equal educational opportunities for youth in the greater New Orleans area. Central to this mission is the transformation of the McDonogh #19 Elementary School building into the Tate, Etienne, and Prevost (TEP) Interpretive Center.
