Open Community Gallery (New Orleans Black Education History Week)

DESCRIPTION

For one week, BE NOLA’s Black Is Brilliant Syllabus comes off the screen and becomes a room.

The Community Gallery at Merchant Hall is open to the public every afternoon during New Orleans Black Education History Week, Monday, November 16 through Friday, November 20, from noon to 5 p.m.

What’s inside

A timeline wall running the length of the space — archival photographs, the educators who taught here, the institutions that outlasted the odds against them. Then five stations, one for each pillar of Black Educational Brilliance: Belonging, High Expectations with Love, Exposure, Legacy, and Rigorous Sight. Each pairs the idea with the New Orleans schools, educator collectives, and organizations living it out, then and now. The pillars stop being abstractions and start having addresses.

There’s seating. Come for ten minutes on your lunch break or stay the whole afternoon.

Bringing a group?

Nonprofits, community organizations, and homeschool teams are especially welcome. Reserving a day helps us have someone on hand to walk you through — but you’re never required to. The door is open.

Reserve the day you’re coming

Free tickets are listed by date so we know roughly how many people to expect each afternoon. Walk-ins are welcome all week.

Suggested donation of $15 supports the observance and helps get students to next year's programming.

New Orleans Black Education History Week is brought to you with significant support from the Institute of Mental Hygiene.

On Friday the 20th, the gallery closes at 5 p.m. and the Community Gallery Closing begins — a conversation with Black education scholars, music, and light bites, 5–8 p.m.

New Orleans Black Education History Week runs November 15–20, 2026 — the first year of a permanent, citywide commemoration adopted by the Orleans Parish School Board. See the full week at BIBWeek.com.