In 2019, BE NOLA was honored to host esteemed education scholars Dr. Adrienne Dixson, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, and Dr. Kevin Lawrence Henry at Dillard University's Georges Auditorium for an invigorating discussion to broaden the story on Black education in New Orleans.

What followed is an ongoing series of “Healing-Centered Talks” convened in partnership with Black-led organizations around New Orleans. These intimate community conversations with Black educators, students, families, and community members are an opportunity to gather in loving community to share stories about our education experiences, deepen knowledge about our education environment, and surface what we collectively desire as we look ahead. BENOLA offers a structured protocol to help participants consider a variety of education issues in the context of a historical “education debt” owed to our community. Our goal with these conversations is to disrupt oversimplified education narratives and build awareness of opportunities for Black education stakeholders to shape schooling practices in New Orleans.