University of Kwazulu-Natal

Nola Resistance The Historic New Orleans Collection

Bonisiwe Shabane
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nola resistance the historic new orleans collection

Explore our oral history project featuring testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976. Explore our oral history project featuring testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976. The modern African American civil rights movement brought about immense cultural change in New Orleans. The fight for racial justice included voter registration drives as well as efforts to end segregation and curtail discrimination in schools, on public transportation, and in businesses. Local chapters of CORE, the NAACP, and NAACP youth council led the movement. This oral history project, funded in part by a National Park Service grant, records testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976.

For more information, access the full audio and transcript for each oral history. The project documented a number of historic events and themes in the interviews with the activists who took part. The ten short videos below highlight these stories from the civil rights movement in New Orleans. Published: March 1, 2020 Last Updated: June 1, 2020 “We, in 1963, we had a vision on the right to vote, and desegregation. What is your vision?”

—Ronnie Moore, interviewed for NOLA Resistance Oral History Project, September 27, 2017 A cornerstone of the project was making the contents of the oral histories easily accessible for researchers, students, and the general public. The full audio and a searchable transcript for each interview are available at hnoc.org/nolaresistance. An additional set of ten thematic videos—each approximately three to four minutes in length—is also available. The videos feature project participants—including Leona Tate, Dodie Smith-Simmons, Don Hubbard, Katrena Ndang, Dr. Raphael Cassimere Jr., and Malik Rahim—speaking to the larger stories that knit their experiences together.

The result is a powerful recounting of pivotal moments and events from the local civil rights movement. Another critical component of the project is curricula for middle and high school students. THNOC’s education department developed three lesson plans from the oral histories: “Stories of Resistance,” “Young Leaders of New Orleans,” and “Integrating McDonogh 19.” According to Curator of Education Jenny Schwartzberg, each lesson “prompts students... The lessons, also available online, help students cultivate critical–thinking skills, further develop their reading comprehension abilities, and gain experience in assessing different types of historical sources.” The modern African American civil rights movement brought about immense cultural change in New Orleans. The fight for racial justice included voter registration drives as well as efforts to end segregation and curtail discrimination in schools, on public transportation, and in businesses.

Local chapters of CORE, the NAACP, and NAACP youth council led the movement. This oral history project, funded in part by a National Park Service grant, records testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976. For more information, access the full audio and transcript for each oral history. The project documented a number of historic events and themes in the interviews with the activists who took part. The ten short videos below highlight these stories from the civil rights movement in New Orleans. In November of 1960, six years after the US Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v.

Board of Education found segregation by race in public education to be unconstitutional, New Orleans’s public schools began the process of integration. That fall, four young girls—Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost, Gail Etienne, and Ruby Bridges—integrated two elementary schools in the Ninth Ward, McDonogh 19 and William Frantz. During the early 1960s, civil rights fighters pushed for enforcement of the federal ruling to provide integrated facilities for interstate travel by organizing bus trips known as “Freedom Rides.” New Orleanians, including members of... Dodie Smith-Simmons recalls her experiences as a Freedom Rider, including the day when a colleague told her to “get Bobby Kennedy on the phone.” 520 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130 www.hnoc.org An exhibt in 'The Trail They Blazed' shows the interior of a New Orleans streetcar with the infamous movable sign banishing Black passengers to the rear of the vehicle.

The new Historic New Orleans Collection exhibit “The Trail They Blazed” got its start about a decade ago with an oral history project called NOLA Resistance, an effort to record the voices of participants... Those contributions were substantial; the oral histories, which are archived at hnoc.org, fill more than 50 hours. Some of them have been heard in a traveling exhibit that has been touring the city since September 2023, including stops at the Tate, Etienne and Prevost Center, the University of Holy Cross and... That traveling exhibit was a collaboration between HNOC’s staff and the local Civil Rights Movement participants themselves. NEW ORLEANS – The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) announced today a transformative new in-gallery exhibition, “The Trail They Blazed,” running from June 6, 2025, through June 7, 2026, on the third floor of... Developed in close collaboration with the courageous individuals who shaped Louisiana’s Civil Rights Movement, this immersive multimedia experience powerfully illuminates firsthand stories of bravery, resistance and profound societal change, underscoring New Orleans’ undeniable and...

“The Trail they Blazed” is made possible through the generous support of Edgar “Dooky “Jr. & Leah Chase Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by WBOK, a proud Media Sponsor for this important initiative. Building upon the impactful legacy of HNOC’s previous traveling exhibition of the same title and the vital NOLA Resistance oral history project, “The Trail They Blazed,” curated by Eric Seiferth and Aimee Everett with... “This pivotal exhibition elevates the compelling local narratives of civil rights activism, firmly positioning them within the broader national movement for justice and ensuring that New Orleans’ crucial contributions are recognized and remembered,” said... “The exhibition is a vital step in making sure that New Orleans’ indispensable role in the American Civil Rights Movement is not only acknowledged but celebrated as an integral part of the national story.”

Visitors will be deeply moved by firsthand audio accounts drawn from over three dozen oral histories, impactful archival news footage, poignant photography, and the resonant sounds of protest songs. The exhibition offers opportunities for profound engagement, including an interactive voter registration test that starkly reveals the historical realities of voter suppression. Guests will also encounter significant original objects and ephemera, including materials from pivotal protests and boycotts that unfolded on New Orleans’ streets. NEW ORLEANS (press release) – As part of the NOLA Resistance collaborative initiative led by The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) to preserve and share stories from the New Orleans Civil Rights Movement, a... 10. Built collaboratively with living individuals who bravely participated in the local Civil Rights Movement as well as those working today to preserve the legacy of the movement, The Trail They Blazed engages visitors in...

The exhibition includes 1,000 square feet of historic visuals and more than three dozen audio offerings that highlights boycotts, public school desegregation, the Congress of Racial Equality, the 1963 March on City Hall, the... “We were fortunate for the opportunity to preserve the stories of so many leaders of the local Civil Rights Movement as part of our NOLA Resistance initiative,” said THNOC Curator/Historian Eric Seiferth. “We designed The Trail They Blazed as an extension of the oral history project, continuing to prioritize a collaborative process that has produced a richer exhibition focused on honoring the past and inspiring the... Understanding how change happens – how it happened in the past and how to enact change today – can be difficult. The Trail They Blazed attempts to clarify the process of making change by breaking down historical examples from the New Orleans Civil Rights Movement from the 1950s to 1970s. The exhibition encourages younger visitors to think critically about how change happens and provides examples from this era to help create a roadmap for future activism.

“The Trail They Blazed makes the TEP Center the perfect setting for the debut of this important exhibition about the New Orleans Civil Rights Movement,” said Leona Tate, founder and executive director of the... “We invite all New Orleanians to visit and learn about the pioneers who made history here and elsewhere throughout our community.”

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Explore Our Oral History Project Featuring Testimony From Individuals Who

Explore our oral history project featuring testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976. Explore our oral history project featuring testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976. The modern African American civil rights movement brought about immense cultural chang...

For More Information, Access The Full Audio And Transcript For

For more information, access the full audio and transcript for each oral history. The project documented a number of historic events and themes in the interviews with the activists who took part. The ten short videos below highlight these stories from the civil rights movement in New Orleans. Published: March 1, 2020 Last Updated: June 1, 2020 “We, in 1963, we had a vision on the right to vote, an...

—Ronnie Moore, Interviewed For NOLA Resistance Oral History Project, September

—Ronnie Moore, interviewed for NOLA Resistance Oral History Project, September 27, 2017 A cornerstone of the project was making the contents of the oral histories easily accessible for researchers, students, and the general public. The full audio and a searchable transcript for each interview are available at hnoc.org/nolaresistance. An additional set of ten thematic videos—each approximately thre...

The Result Is A Powerful Recounting Of Pivotal Moments And

The result is a powerful recounting of pivotal moments and events from the local civil rights movement. Another critical component of the project is curricula for middle and high school students. THNOC’s education department developed three lesson plans from the oral histories: “Stories of Resistance,” “Young Leaders of New Orleans,” and “Integrating McDonogh 19.” According to Curator of Education...

Local Chapters Of CORE, The NAACP, And NAACP Youth Council

Local chapters of CORE, the NAACP, and NAACP youth council led the movement. This oral history project, funded in part by a National Park Service grant, records testimony from individuals who were active in the fight for racial equality in New Orleans between 1954 and 1976. For more information, access the full audio and transcript for each oral history. The project documented a number of historic...