From the Bay to the Bayou: A Diasporic Look at Black Education in Oakland and New Orleans

Dehjah Vaughn
Jul 8
4 min read

There is a deep cultural similarity between Oakland and New Orleans. Both display strong ties to African-centered political mobilization, cultural preservation, and resilience.

Oakland faces economic urbanization, but continues to embody resistance. New Orleans reestablishes itself post-Katrina by reclaiming cultural memory and rebuilding community through education. Both share a commonality of school closures and the educational shift from public schooling to public charter schools.

Conversely, the Bay and the Bayou share the common experience of displacement and gentrification. Each city reveals that racial disparities continue to shape Black students' access to quality education, despite decades of resistance and reform.

In this blog post, we will delve into the cultural, political, and economic similarities between Oakland and New Orleans. In hopes of illustrating a side-by-side comparison of resistance and resilience. Both cities preserve their cultural heritage in distinctive ways; however, they seem to experience the same functions of redlining, gentrification, educational displacement, and infrastructure misalignment. Despite these challenges, Oakland and New Orleans remain spiritual and devoted to preserving their enriching histories.

Bright marquee sign with "Oakland" and "Black Lives Matter" text on a theater building under a blue sky, conveying a message of support.

Compare histories: from the Port of Oakland to the Mississippi River, how does this shape Black students' educational experience?

Oakland, CA: Port of Resistance and Reimagination

The Port drew Black migrants during the Second Migration, creating hubs like West Oakland.
The Black Panther Party’s Oakland Community School uplifted youth with free meals, legal aid, and culturally relevant education.
Lake Merritt became a spiritual gathering site and a symbol of community power

Why does this matter: This matters because these institutions and spaces represent how Black communities in Oakland actively shaped their futures through collective care, political education, and spiritual grounding. The Port, Lake Merritt, and the Black Panther-led schools weren’t just places; they were acts of resistance that challenged systemic exclusion and created self-sustaining networks of support.

Three jazz musician sculptures playing trumpets, set in a park with autumn leaves. The statues have colorful painted sections.

New Orleans, LA: River of Memory and Marginalization

The Mississippi River shaped spiritual life, trade, and cultural exchange. Afro-Creole traditions preserve collective music, spirituality, and storytelling.
Segregation and underfunded schools impacted Black education. Tremé, the oldest Black neighborhood in the U.S., remains a hub of cultural resilience and learning.
Racial divides were reinforced through infrastructure projects. Black families gathered at places like Lincoln Beach and Seabrook—often under-resourced and later redeveloped, while Pontchartrain Beach remained whites-only despite the rise of nearby Black communities.

Why does this matter: This matters because it reveals how Black geographies and cultural spaces in New Orleans have long been policed, underfunded, and erased, yet never without resistance. The Mississippi River, Tremé, and communal gathering places like Lincoln Beach weren’t just recreational or residential; they were sites of identity, survival, and collective memory.

Purple and red flowers by a lakeside, with a grand building in the background under a clear blue sky. Vibrant and serene setting.

Policy vs. Disaster: Proposition 13 vs. Hurricane Katrina

Proposition 13 (1978, California)
Property tax limits severely restrict local school funding.
California’s public education, especially in Black-majority Oakland districts, faces widespread defunding.
Economic disparities mean areas like Grand Lake get more resources than East Oakland.
Inequities affect school facilities, teacher pay, and student resources.
Black educators, parents, and allies united to advocate for equity and Ethnic Studies.

Why does this matter: This matters because Proposition 13 deepened educational inequities by stripping local funding from Black-majority schools like those in East Oakland. Wealthier neighborhoods retained resources, while under-resourced communities struggled. The result was long-term disparities in school quality, teacher pay, and student opportunity, prompting Black communities to organize for equity and reclaim education as resistance.

Hurricane Katrina (2005, New Orleans)

Many Black children suffered lasting trauma from Katrina.
Most Black students, families, and educators were displaced or never returned.
State officials failed to provide timely infrastructure support.
4,600 teachers were fired, mostly Black educators.
Black teacher numbers fell from 71% to 49% by 2014.
By 2014, New Orleans schools were mostly charter-based.

Why does this matter: This matters because Hurricane Katrina didn’t just destroy buildings; it dismantled an educational ecosystem rooted in Black leadership. Displacement, mass firings, and the shift to charters erased cultural knowledge and community trust. It shows how disaster became a tool for exclusion, making recovery about reclaiming power, voice, and legacy in education.

Mural of a black panther on red and teal rays with "No Justice, No Peace" and "Black Panthers Circa 1966" text, conveying activism.

How do Oakland and New Orleans preserve Black history through schools?

Oakland’s esteemed legacy of the Black Panther Party and youth activism lives vibrantly through the engagement of ethnic studies, backed by Assembly Bill 101, which requires ethnic studies to be a graduation requirement. The Bay carries on the tradition of Black Student Unions that intentionally activate aspects of identity, activism, and healing. Additionally, Lake Merritt has continued to serve as a spiritual space for Black families, to honor the African heritage and communion amongst each other.

New Orleans, post-Katrina educators and elders continue to honor the heritage of Afro-Creole and traditions through oral history and resilience. The city continues to use Congo Square as a sacred place to preserve the legacy of African ancestry, cultural expression, and collective consciousness.

Conclusion:

Oakland and New Orleans, though distant in geography, reflect parallel histories of Black resistance to systemic displacement. From the Port of Oakland to the Mississippi River, both cities embody cultural ingenuity, political activism, and educational advocacy.

Black educational resistance is a diasporic strategy rooted in legacy and place. From the Black Panthers’ schools to post-Katrina rebuilding, communities have turned policy violence into care networks and liberation-centered learning.

These cities show that true educational justice demands systemic change and cultural preservation. Uplifting community-led models grounded in healing and equity are essential to building liberatory futures.