Who were the New Orleans Four? Oprah tells the story of Black girls who helped desegregate NOLA schools

Oprah Winfrey highlighted the New Orleans Four—Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost, Gail Etienne, and Ruby Bridges—during her speech at the Democratic National Convention on August 21, 2024. These four six-year-old Black girls played a key role in desegregating New Orleans public schools in 1960, becoming symbols of the Civil Rights Movement.

While Ruby Bridges is the most recognized, Oprah emphasized the contributions of all four girls to civil rights and educational opportunities.

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About the New Orleans Four

As per New Orleans Historical, on November 14, 1960, three African American girls, Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost and Gail Etienne were enrolled in McDonogh 19 Elementary School, a once all-white school in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward. The fourth girl, Ruby Bridges, was assigned to William Frantz Elementary School.

The 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, leading to efforts to desegregate schools. However, Southern states like Louisiana resisted integration for years. It wasn't until a federal court order forced the New Orleans school system to desegregate that the four six-year-old girls were enrolled in previously all-white schools.

The New Orleans Four, however, were met with hostility. They were harassed on a daily basis by angry mobs of white protestors who detested the integration. They walked through these groups as white people yelled slurs at them, clad with signs opposing the integration. Federal marshals had to escort them to and from school to ensure their safety. Several white parents withdrew their children from the schools, leaving the girls to sit in near-empty classrooms.

Federal marshals escort Ruby Bridges as she leaves school (Image via x/@BerniceKing)

Ruby Bridges' story became widely known when Norman Rockwell debuted his painting, The Problem We All Live With. It depicted her being escorted by the federal marshals on the way to school. The image has since become a symbol of the struggle for civil rights in the U.S.

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Oprah Winfrey's address of New Orleans Four

In her address on Wednesday, Oprah recognized the importance of all the four girls, and not just Ruby Bridges, in the desegregation movement in New Orleans.

Oprah Winfrey said,

"Tessie passed away six weeks ago, and I tell the story to honor her tonight."

She continued,

"[The New Orleans Four] broke barriers, and they paid dearly for it. But it was the grace and guts and courage of women like Tessie Prevost Williams that paved the way for another young girl who, nine years later, became part of the second class to integrate the public schools in Berkeley, California."

Notably, Tessie Provost passed away in July, 2024. Up until her death, the New Orleans Four continued to advocate for racial equality and educational opportunities for Black children.

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Winfrey has long supported Democratic politics, backing Biden and Harris in 2020 and endorsing Democrats like Sen. John Fetterman in key 2022 Senate races.