Because of Black People
Be Nola - Black Education for New Orleans
BENOLA builds the capacity of Black-led efforts to advance educational progress in New Orleans.
“Everything you love about New Orleans is because of Black people.” - Ryan “phlegm” Gilbert
BE NOLA’s work is centered on the belief that “teaching and the shaping of character is one of our great strengths.” That statement from world-renowned Pan-Africanist educator Asa Hillard highlights the fact that African people have “thousands of years of well-recorded deep thought” on fostering educational brilliance. So when womanist writer, educator (and BE NOLA co-leader) Stevona “Stevie” Elem-Rogers developed the Black is Brilliant Summit and Institute, the words became more than a tagline, they became our mantra.?
Our Black is Brilliant programs help educators tap into the deep reservoir of knowledge from our earliest teachers who persevered in little shacks converted to schools using second hand books. Yet the joy of our work at Black Education for New Orleans (BE NOLA) is juxtaposed with the reality of recent court rulings that have gutted affirmative action and targeted investments designed specifically to ignite the Black brilliance that exists in our community.??
July is a time of massive celebration in New Orleans as we welcome the ESSENCE Music Festival for its 30th anniversary. And though it’s not always reflected, Black New Orleanians' culture, practices and knowledge is the foundation of what so many visitors to our city enjoy. So what if this year we centered Black New Orleans, as we celebrate? What if we elevate, value, and love on Black brilliance while we party instead of sanitizing our streets from the culture and indigenous keepers of the land?
Elevate
When we don’t center Black brilliance we extract from Black people, specifically Black women, without compensation or credit.? All too often in education, our ideas, innovations, and practices are stolen, sanitized and emptied of its radical content before being commercialized as something new or different. (A perfect example of this is the work of Harriet Ball.) Then there are the narratives that follow the work of Black women educators, often posthumously. We see praise for their tenacity and recognition for their fortitude - the very things that are weaponized against them as they lead. What would happen if we acknowledged the fullness of their contributions in real time? How would our retention numbers be affected if their impact was better supported? The elevation of Black educational thought and leadership takes loud mouth courage and community action to make it so. We’re here for it.
Value
Value is a critical issue when it comes to Black education, internally and externally. We have been stripped of resources for so long that some folks have gotten confused about our track record of educational brilliance and innovation. As a result, it can become tempting to internalize the propaganda that Black education is inferior. It’s quite the opposite. There is immense, unrealized value in supporting Black brilliance in New Orleans education. A 2017 study by the Institute of Labor Economics found that Black students who had at least one Black teacher between grades three and five were more likely to succeed in high school and college. Black male students were 39% less likely to drop out of high school and Black students of all genders were more likely to aspire to attend a four-year college if they had a Black teacher. (Source) Yet, Black-governed, Black-led schools in New Orleans—institutions that are full of culturally-wise Black educators and innovative Black education approaches—have experienced racial bias in accessing financial resources and other supports that would maximize their positive impact on Black children. Our 2020 Black is Brilliant Report highlighted their value in the face of persistent underfunding and marginalization. Our 2023 Case Study doubled down on the data.
Love
Stevie penned the cover story for this year’s July/August issue of ESSENCE - A Love Letter to New Orleans. In it she describes her?soulful connection?to a city where “you never walk alone.” The loving illustrations of Black joy, culture, creativity, and resistance shared in the article offer a methodology for love in Black education. Love causes us to show up for ourselves and others. Love implores us to persist. Love reminds us not to forget. We must return to the love, celebration, and inextinguishable pride that fueled the earliest visions and efforts of our ancestors. We must return to the love of Black education and educators. We must embrace where we’ve been and love where we’re headed. As Stevie reminds us, this kind of "love is not just a feeling but a sacred responsibility—a love that deserves investment and reciprocity.“
BE NOLA has unapologetically answered the call to elevate, value, and love Black education, schools and educators. Our school support programming grows the brilliant work being led by Black-governed educational spaces centering our children. We offer them resources, moments of rest and gatherings of joy. We uplift their successes and share their progress. We provide educators a community of care and space for their continued development where their curiosity can unlock new layers of brilliance. That valued nourishment comes in the form of our Black is Brilliant Institute, a six month paid fellowship for New Orleans' Black educators that Stevie, its founder, describes as a space of "wellness, learning and doing." And our love for all things Black education is demonstrated during our annual Black is Brilliant Summit, now in its 5th year. On July 4, 2024, a mini version of the Black is Brilliant Summit is popping up at ESSENCE Fest. It's a taste of what's to come as we kick off the road to our first-ever national Black Is Brilliant Summit in 2025 dedicated to celebrating the resilience of Black education 20 years post Hurricane Katrina.
We invite you to join us as a partner in this work. Your contributions help us elevate, value, and express love to the foundation of Black education that rests in New Orleans. Everything people love about New Orleans is because of Black people, even education. Especially education.
Adrinda Kelly?is the Founding Executive Director of Black Education For New Orleans (BE NOLA).?Click here to explore the work BE NOLA is doing to ignite the Black brilliance that exists in schools and neighborhoods through initiatives like the Black Is Brilliant Summit founded by BE NOLA's Chief of Community Programs and Partnerships, Stevona Elem-Rogers.
Black Is Brilliant Spotlight: Black Is Brilliant Summit Pop Up
We're Poppin' Up at ESSENCE! We'll be hosting our annual Black Is Brilliant Summit gathering at ESSENCE this year, and we'd love to see you there. Join us on July 4, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Eliza Jane Hotel in Downtown New Orleans. What to expect: (PRESS PLAY FOR THE VIBES!)
We currently have 700+ registrants and counting! Join our growing community of Black educators for a joyful learning experience.? Special thanks to the Kresge Foundation and the New Orleans City Council Recreation and Culture Fund for their support.
Space is limited, so RSVP now.
Black Is Brilliant Spotlight: Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes
Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes, the Executive Director of Efforts of Grace and Ashé Cultural Arts Center, is a multifaceted community servant deeply rooted in New Orleans' indigenous culture. With a background in education, organizing, and the arts, Asali has made significant contributions to the city through her work in strategic neighborhood development, cultural preservation, and social justice.
As an Ambassador for Ashé's Building Community Power Policy Initiative, BE NOLA is honored to represent the education sector in a series of design workshops and creative collaborations confronting major concerns with radical imagination. In August, we will co-host a two-day Education design workshop, harnessing our collective genius to co-create a community-designed policy mandating that elected officials legislate learning in ways that align with our dreams for our children.
Asali's leadership and dedication to elevating the community embodies the wisdom of Zimbabwean author Matshona Dhliwayo: "The real power of a leader is in the number of minds she can reach, hearts she can touch, souls she can move, and lives she can change."
Click here to learn more about Ashé's Building Community Power Policy initiative and RSVP to participate.
What We’re Reading: Stevona Elem-Rogers' ESSENCE Cover Story “Dear New Orleans”
We are bursting with pride as we celebrate the extraordinary achievements of womanist writer and educator Stevona "Stevie" Elem-Rogers, who serves as our beloved co-leader at BE NOLA. Her powerful cover story, "Dear New Orleans," graces the current issue of ESSENCE magazine, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.
Stevie's love letter to New Orleans is a testament to her deep connection with our community. It is beautifully complemented by stunning photography of notable Black New Orleanians captured by native filmmaker Edward Buckles Jr.
In this personal and moving essay, Stevie describes her love for New Orleans - a place where she learned "you never walk alone" -? and boldly addresses the state of teaching in New Orleans post-Katrina, highlighting the mass firing of Black educators. Despite challenges, she earned her Master of Arts in Teaching, specializing in Culturally Responsive Teaching, thanks to the support of Black veteran teachers.
In her role at BE NOLA, Stevie has made an enduring impact by founding initiatives like the Black is Brilliant Summit and Institute, empowering Black educators and impacting the lives of countless children.
She is a shining example of why we believe so fiercely in supporting Black educational brilliance. We celebrate her advocacy of Black womanhood and culture and her two decades of service to children, educators, and the community in our beloved city.?
If you want to celebrate Stevie in person, she will join NY Times' Nikole Hannah-Jones of the 1619 Project, creator Lynae Vanee, and activist Rashad Robinson on Essence's AFROPUNK BLKtopia stage on July 6 at 1:40 p.m. at Ernest M. Morial Convention Center.
BE NOLA Out & About
On Juneteenth 2024, we partnered with #BLAIRISMS to host a celebration at Ashé's Cultural Arts Center, honoring historically Black New Orleans schools and institutions. The event brought together Black leaders, educators, and alumni from McDonogh #35, Saint Augustine High School, Saint Mary's Academy, The Learning Workshop, Students at?the Center and Ahidiana Work/Study Center.
Attendees enjoyed a robust breakfast, music, and interactive discussions from Dr. David David Robinson-Morris, Barbara Major, Malcolm Ferrouillet, Connie Fitch, and Robbin "Mama Penni" Haley about the promise of Juneteenth and Black education while reflecting on the legacy of these institutions in nurturing Black brilliance in the city.
Following the celebration, we were honored to be part of the Juneteenth Festival at Congo Square, a vibrant event programmed by Ashé Cultural Arts Center. Here, we had the opportunity to share information about our organization and spread the inspiring message of BE NOLA on stage. We extend our thanks to all who contributed to making this joyous occasion a reality!
What We’re Listening To: BE NOLA Essence Fest 2024 Prep Playlist
We can’t get ready for the ESSENCE Festival of Culture without the music. Music is the throughline of Black experience. It’s the soundtrack to every birthday, wedding, girl’s trip?and game night. Anytime two or more of us are gathered, music is there with us. So get in the spirit and prep your soul for celebration with our ESSENCE Fest 2024 Prep Playlist featuring classics like “Before I Let Go” - a veritable New Orleans anthem! - and songs that define and speak to our Black lives. This playlist will have you singing along and ready to “drop it like it’s hot” before you even step foot in the Superdome. Get ready to make memories that last a lifetime. Listen here.
Photo: Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus of ESSENCE Magazine, Susan Taylor, and former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial present Stevie Wonder with the New Orleans Peace Prize (1996).