NEW ORLEANS — The Leona Tate Foundation for the Change, Inc. at The Tate, Etienne, and Prevost (TEP) Interpretive Center has announced the grand opening of its newest permanent exhibit, “The Principal’s Office.”
The new exhibit offers an intimate journey through history, retracing the path of six-year-olds Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost—the girls who integrated McDonogh 19 Elementary School in 1960. Visitors will follow their footsteps, beginning at the front steps of the school and culminating in The Principal’s Office, just as those girls did more than 65 years ago.
The TEP Interpretive Center, housed in the very same historic building where these pivotal events took place, continues to serve as a monumental space for civil rights education and community reflection. With a mission to teach, exhibit, and engage the public in the legacy of school desegregation in New Orleans and beyond, this exhibit is a testament to the organization’s enduring work and vision.
The exhibit was fabricated by Downtown FabWorks, whose team brought the story to life with immersive craftsmanship. The design was led by Gallagher & Associates (G&A), contributing thoughtful interpretation to the physical and emotional journey being reimagined inside the space.
The exhibit is being supported in part by an African American Civil Rights grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, with additional support from Keesler Federal Credit Union, which sponsored the exhibit’s glass walls.
“The installation of the Principal’s Office exhibit means giving every visitor the chance to walk in the shoes Gail, Tessie, and I wore on that first day—so they can feel the weight of our steps, understand the history we lived, and carry its lessons forward,” says Dr. Leona Tate, Founder and Executive Director.
Event Details
A ribbon cutting ceremony and reception will be held on Jan. 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tate, Etienne & Prevost (TEP) Interpretive Center, 5909 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117.
The event is free and open to the public.
About The TEP Interpretive Center
The Tate, Etienne & Prevost (TEP) Interpretive Center, a civil rights education and museum space housed in the former McDonogh 19 Elementary School in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The building is operated by the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc. and serves as an educational facility focused on teaching, exhibiting and engaging visitors in the history of civil rights in New Orleans. It also includes community-oriented programming and affordable senior housing as part of the larger redeveloped historic school site.
About Downtown Fabworks
Downtown FabWorks is a Gulf South–based scenic and architectural fabrication firm that specializes in custom experiential fabrication and technical design for live events, brand activations, educational displays, immersive exhibits, and themed environments across the United States.
