Reviving Education: How This Nonprofit Reinvigorates New Orleans with Black Educators

Stevona Elem-Rogers (L) and Adrinda Kelly (R) co-lead Black Education for New Orleans (BE NOLA), a nonprofit devoted to empowering Black educators in their hometown. With a curriculum emphasizing leadership, management, and cultural understanding, BE NOLA aims to reinstate the significant presence of Black teachers in local schools, a demographic that has dwindled in recent years amidst education reform efforts.Since Hurricane Katrina's devastation, New Orleans' education landscape has significantly altered, with Black educators previously comprising a substantial proportion of the workforce. Kelly recalls her own enriching schooling experience before reforms, where her primarily Black teachers positively influenced her trajectory toward Harvard.In response to systemic challenges, BE NOLA was founded in 2017 to foster Black-led educational institutions and increase representation among teachers. Despite improvements in test scores overall, many Black students still face educational disparities, prompting the organization to prioritize culturally relevant education in their mission.

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