New Orleans To Unite For Funeral Of Tessie Prevost Williams
July 24, 2024
A casket lying in state will precede funeral services, followed by a final salute for the civil rights icon at the New Orleans TEP Center.
Funeral services for New Orleans civil rights leader Tessie Prevost Williams have been scheduled for Saturday, July 27, at Branch Bell Baptist Church, honoring her life and notable role in the community.
As previously covered by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Prevost Williams, who was one of four Black girls who bravely integrated New Orleans public schools in 1960, died on July 6 at 69 years old. According to the Associated Press, her death follows a series of health issues. The civil rights icon’s funeral in New Orleans will be preceded by her casket lying in state at Gallier Hall on Friday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. A jazz brass band will lead the funeral procession, culminating in a final salute at the Tate, Etienne and Prevost Civil Rights Interpretive Center.
On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Prevost Williams and her classmates, 6-year-olds Leona Tate and Gail Etienne, faced jeering crowds as they entered McDonogh No. 19 Elementary School. “It’s an experience that I had with her that I will never ever forget,” Etienne reflected to WWL-TV. “I’m truly going to miss her.” The girls endured isolation and constant police protection in their covered window classroom after white parents withdrew their children. In recent years, Prevost Williams and Etienne established the New Orleans Four Legacy Collection to preserve their historic role.
Congressman Troy A. Carter commemorated her life, “Her courage and profound impact on New Orleans and our nation will never be forgotten.”
The civil rights advocate’s funeral in New Orleans marks the end of a life dedicated to equality. In 2022, Prevost Williams participated in the inaugural opening of the TEP Center, celebrating the former McDonogh 19 Elementary School building’s new role as a community hub and living museum of civil rights history. Her death follows the New Orleans 4’s recent honor in Washington, D.C., commemorating the 70th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education.
Saturday’s funeral in New Orleans will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.