Dr. Luquet’s Connection to Historical Moment in Civil Rights Movement
Gwynedd Mercy University Professor of Social Work Wade Luquet, PhD recently had the honor of introducing the keynote speaker at The Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-PA) Conference.
Civil rights pioneer Dr. Leona Tate served as the keynote speaker, where she shared how her place in America's history inspired her life of service.
On November 14, 1960, at just six years old, Dr. Tate and two classmates, Gail Etienne and Tessie Prevost, became the first Black students to integrate New Orleans’ McDonogh 19 Elementary School along with 6-year-old Ruby Bridges who was also walking into the all-white William Frantz Elementary School that same day.
New Orleans’ McDonogh 19 Elementary School.
With U.S. federal marshals by their side to protect them from the swarm of angry protesters, the girls entered a classroom where they completed first and second grade alone, as every white student had withdrawn. This brave act was a turning point in the civil rights movement and a lifetime of advocacy for Dr. Tate.
Dr. Luquet, longtime member of NASW-PA and former president of the Pennsylvania Association for Social Work Education, nominated Dr. Tate for the keynote role after discovering her story — and how their lives intersected.
Dr. Luquet was born and raised in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, and as a one-year-old in 1960, he was living in his grandmother's house directly across the street from McDonogh 19 Elementary School.
"No doubt that I was watching everything from my mother’s arms on the front porch of our tiny shot gun house. While I have no memory of the historic event, I immediately felt a connection to Dr. Tate's story and how she turned this act of bravery into a life dedicated to advocacy," Dr. Luquet said. "This was such a pivotal moment in U.S. History and to know I was just steps away from it has reinspired my dedication to social justice and service."
across the street from New Orleans’ McDonogh 19 Elementary School.
Today, Dr. Tate leads the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, which works to combat racism, preserve the history of school desegregation, and revitalize communities. The Foundation purchased the school building that was scheduled for demolition, had it placed on the historic register, and transformed it into a center for anti-racism education and civil rights history. The second and third floors of the building were transformed into 25 one-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors.
“This is a story that must be told and remembered. People feel like this is old history, but it’s not. Many people who were there in 1960, including Dr. Tate and myself, are still here. She was the perfect person as the keynote speaker for our annual social work conference. Those in attendance were in awe of her grace and advocacy. And I made a new friend who reconnected me to my old neighborhood.”
Learn more about the TEP Center here.
Learn more about Dr. Tate’s story and the Leona Tate Foundation for Change here.