Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2018
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Policy Studies
First Advisor
Janice B. Fournillier
Second Advisor
Joyce E. King
Third Advisor
Richard D. Lakes
Fourth Advisor
Patricia Carter
Fifth Advisor
Adrienne D. Dixson
Abstract
Integral to communities and neighborhoods, historically Black public high schools fostered traditions, heritage, as well as collective identity and awareness. The aim of this inquiry was to explore various perspectives on what happened to historically Black public high schools in New Orleans and to learn about the experiences of those who lived through these changes. Moreover, this dissertation chronicles struggles for Black public education in New Orleans to show how current struggles for Black education are a continuation of the past. Primary data sources include in-depth interviews with 30 students, alumni, parents, teachers and administrators; public testimonies; archival documents; photographs; governmental documents; and court records. Findings illustrate that while the State of Louisiana’s Act No. 35 (2005) enabled the newly created Recovery School District (RSD) to assume the control of a total of 107 of the 128 Orleans Parish schools just after Hurricane Katrina, the dismantling of historically Black public high schools must be understood within a broader historical context that considers previous policies as well as community-led struggles that forced the opening of these schools. Different than most qualitative research on school reform in New Orleans, this study presents narratives on how educational policy was lived and experienced by those whose lives have been affected.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/12075512
Recommended Citation
Jeffers, Elizabeth K., "Testimonios: A Twenty-First Century Colonial Project and the Closure of Historically Black High Schools in New Orleans." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2018.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/12075512