November 14, 1960 — Four six-year-old girls, flanked by Federal Marshals, walked through
screaming crowds and policemen on horseback as they approached their new
schools for the first time. Leona Tate thought it must be Mardi Gras. Gail
thought they were going to kill her.

Four years after the Supreme Court ruled to desegregate schools in Brown v Board of
Education, schools in the south were dragging their feet. Finally, in 1960, the
NAACP and a daring judge selected two schools in New Orleans to push forward
with integration — McDonogh No.19 Elementary and William Frantz.

An application was put in the paper.  From 135 families, four girls were
selected. They were given psychological tests. Their families were
prepared. Members of the Louisiana Legislature took out paid advertisements in
the local paper encouraging parents to boycott the schools. There were threats
of violence.

When the girls going to McDonogh No.19 arrived in their classroom, the white
children began to disappear. One by one their parents took them out of school.
For a year and a half the girls were the only children in the school. Guarded
night and day, they were not allowed to play outdoors. The windows were covered
with brown paper.

The story of integrating the New Orleans Public schools in 1960 told by Leona Tate,
Tessie Prevost Williams, and Gail Etienne Stripling, who integrated McDonogh
No.19 Elementary School, and retired Deputy U.S. Marshals Herschel Garner, Al
Butler, and Charlie Burks who assisted with the integration efforts at the schools.

We produced this story a few years back. We want to put it out there again as part of our Keepers Series because it seems critical, particularly now, to remember and pay tribute to the many Keepers of the archives, the stories, the truth about our past and the long fight for what is fair and just.