NEW ORLEANS — On Thursday evening, January 22, community members, educators, civil rights advocates, and local leaders gathered on the steps of a once-segregated elementary school in the Lower Ninth Ward for an unforgettable ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc. at the Tate, Etienne, and Prevost (TEP) Interpretive Center officially opened The Principal’s Office, a permanent exhibit that brings to life the path walked by three six-year-old girls during a defining moment in New Orleans’ civil rights history.
Built in 1929, the building formerly known as McDonogh 19 Elementary School became one of two flashpoints for forced school desegregation in New Orleans in 1960. On November 14 of that year—six years after Brown v. Board of Education—first-graders Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost stepped through a crowd of jeering protesters, flanked by federal marshals, to become the first Black students to integrate the school.
Now known as the TEP Interpretive Center, the building has been transformed under the leadership of Dr. Leona Tate, who, along with community partners, reclaimed the building to preserve its legacy and repurpose it as a hub for civil rights education, racial equity dialogue, community programming, and low-income senior housing. Since its opening in May 2022, the TEP Center has welcomed nearly 10,000 K–12 students for educational programming. In 2026, the TEP Center anticipates welcoming over 6,500 learners of all ages to participate in hands-on learning experiences, workshops, and guided reflection rooted in civil rights history.
“A Walk in Our Shoes” — An Immersive, Emotional Journey
While the official exhibit title is The Principal’s Office, the space is marked with signage reading “A Walk in Our Shoes”—signaling the core experience of the installation: a literal re-creation of the route taken by the three six-year old girls who desegregated Orleans Parish public schools as they entered the school for the first time. Visitors trace that difficult, brave journey from the outside front steps to the school’s principal’s office, experiencing a real, physical walk into history.
The story is told through carefully crafted experiential design and narrative-flow elements that allow guests to feel the moment—not just read about it.
Fabrication That Brings History to Life
The fabrication of the exhibit was spearheaded by Downtown FabWorks, a New Orleans-based team of experiential fabricators known for their museum-quality, emotionally resonant work. Through experiential fabrication techniques, they transformed historical narrative into a tactile, real-world experience that captures the courage and resilience of Leona, Gail, and Tessie.
The result is a vivid, multi-layered environment that includes:
- Two large exterior banners that welcome visitors and ground the building in its historic meaning;
- Interior panels and glass window graphics that incorporate 1960s-era headlines, photographs, and imagery from that first day;
- A tactile hopscotch installation at the principal’s office—inviting reflection on how these children, while facing terrifying opposition, still engaged in play;
- A permanent wall installation introducing visitors to Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost—with context on how their footsteps helped change America;
- Layered narrative banners and spatial graphics that guide visitors emotionally and physically through the space.
The exhibit was originally envisioned and designed by Gallagher & Associates (G&A), whose role helped shape the conceptual foundation that FabWorks brought to life through high-impact museum exhibit fabrication.
The TEP Center’s The Principal’s Office 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.
A Legacy Reclaimed, A Future Reimagined
The Principal’s Office exhibit is now open to the public at the TEP Interpretive Center, located at 5909 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA. In preserving the legacy of the McDonogh Three, the exhibit sheds light on a pivotal but often overlooked chapter in America’s desegregation story. Through design, storytelling, and experiential fabrication, the exhibit powerfully connects civil rights history to the ongoing work of educational equity, justice, and community empowerment.
Building on the momentum of this powerful exhibit, the Center’s next goals include: installing multimedia components within The Principal’s Office, installing a new 1st Grade Classroom exhibit, and installing a civil rights timeline that deepens historical context for all visitors.
The TEP Center is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for drop-in visitors. Group tours can be scheduled by emailing info@tepcenter.org.
TEP Center Media Contact:
Tremaine Knighten-Riley, Program Director
Tremaine [at] tepcenter.org | 504-273-9709
About The TEP Interpretive Center:
The TEP Interpretive Center’s mission is to teach, exhibit, and engage visitors in the history of civil rights in New Orleans. https://www.tepcenter.org/
Downtown FabWorks Media Contact:
Anna Harris, VP of Communications
anna@downtownfabworks.com | 504-766-0099
About Downtown FabWorks:
Downtown FabWorks is the Gulf South’s premier scenic and architectural fabrication firm, providing custom experiential fabrication and technical design for live events, brand activations, educational displays, immersive exhibits, and themed environments across the U.S. www.downtownfabworks.com