Story and Photos by Daelyn House Data News Weekly Contributor
Despite improved high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates, New Orleans students continue to lag behind their peers statewide in core curriculum subjects. This gap has pushed Black educators to work together to boost academic achievement through community-driven and peer-led solutions. With the new school year underway, Black educators from New Orleans are focusing on boosting student performance in the city’s classroom.“New Orleans is really special in that we are one of the cities in the country that has an amazing legacy of Black institutions, Black teachers, Black schools that have been shaping the minds of Black children since the beginning,” said Adrinda Kelly, the Founding Executive Director of Be NOLA Black Education for New Orleans.
Kelly spoke on local initiatives to improve student achievement as part of the “Black is Brilliance Summit” on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, hosted by BE NOLA at Xavier University of Louisiana’s Campus. The event provided a space for local educators to share strategies, connect with peers, exchange ideas, and tell the stories of why they became educators, all while inspiring one another and spreading a sense of community.
“To be Black and brilliant is to have this deep confidence in knowing who you are and why you are here,” said Kelly, highlighting the summit’s focus on empowering educators through self-knowledge and heritage…