Black Minds Matter Presents School Founders Day
Celebrating Louisiana’s Black Owned/Founded Schools.
On Wednesday, April 27th Black Minds Matter, a national movement to celebrate Black minds, support excellence, and promote the development of high-quality school options for Black students, will celebrate Louisiana’s Black Owned/Founded Schools.
Louisiana has a rich history of Black owned/founded schools – from St. Mary’s Academy, founded more than 150 years ago by a free person of color to Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning, a public charter school. African American educators play an indispensable role in nurturing young minds.
School Founders Day Schedule
10:00 am School Tour
St. Mary’s Academy
6905 Chef Menteur Blvd., New Orleans LA
St. Mary’s Academy is a private Catholic K-12 school operated by the Sisters of the Holy Family. Founded in 1867, it is one of the oldest Black Catholic schools in the country.
1:00 pm School Tour
Weatherford Academy
613 4th St., Westwego LA
Weatherford Academy Early Learning Center offers a program that is child oriented. Children “learn by doing” in an environment which encourages the development of a joy for learning.
6:00 pm Louisiana Black School Founders Dinner and Panel Discussion (invitation only)
Dooky Chase Restaurant
2301 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans LA
Watch the Panel Discussion live on YouTube at 7:00 pm CT: CLICK HERE
A panel of African American school founders will discuss the importance of having Black owned/founded schools in a community. They will share the joys and challenges which come with operating a school in today’s ever changing education landscape.
- Ken Campbell, CEO, New Schools for Baton Rouge
- Arianne Jolla, Co-founder, HYPE Academy
- Dr. Vera Triplett, Founder & CEO, Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning
- Martha Weatherford, Founder, Weatherford Academy
- Brandy Williams, Founder & Head of School, Aba Healing Academy
Black Minds Matter Black-Owned School Directory
The Black Minds Matter Black-Owned School Directory is the first-ever online directory to promote schools founded by African Americans. We are here to help, whether it’s finding a school for your child, advocating for more Black-owned school options, or expanding a network of supporters.
Denisha Merriweather, Founder of Black Minds Matter
Denisha currently serves as Director of Public Relations and Content Marketing at the American Federation for Children. Denisha is a former Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program student who shared her story about how access to the program changed her life. She is the first in her family to graduate from high school and college.