Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc

The Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc. at the Tate, Etienne & Prevost (TEP) Center exists to further racial equality through educational initiatives, museum exhibits, events, and tours.

On Nov. 14, 1960 Leona Tate & 2 others, were escorted by marshals through crowds to attend the all-white McDonogh 19. To preserve the campus left vacant after the levees failed during Katrina, Leona founded LTFC & purchased the historic school, transforming it into the Tate, Etienne & Prevost (TEP) Interpretive Center.

Today, the TEP Center counters the incomplete documentation of the South in favor of white supremacy in its very existence, by immersing visitors in the time/place of desegregation & encouraging visitors to "walk in the shoes" of the the 3 brave young girls. Consequently, LTFC offers 4 Main Programs at the Center: Ringing the Bell is a professional development empowering teachers to include Civil Rights lessons in their curriculum. TEP Talks highlight untold stories of the Civil Rights Movement, connecting them to social justice issues. TEP Tours are offered daily for visitors to participate in anti-racism conversations. Storytellers' Experience invites students to follow the steps of the girls as they converse with Dr. Tate & identify their role in the larger desegregation story.

Testimonials

"Walking up the steps where three first-grade girls first integrated a school in the Deep South in 1960 gave me a chill. Seeing the stairwell they played under, I almost cried. The museum is still in development, but the experience was intense and moving. The guide that spoke with us was passionate and knowledgeable and brought the past to life for us. We left with a bit more emotional understanding of the hatred of racism, as well as an appreciation for the tightly-knit community of the Lower Ninth Ward that is still striving for a better future." TEP Center Visitor, February 2023