Every day this month, the Center for Black Educator Development, in partnership with Phillys7thWard.org and Citizen Ed, will highlight a Black Educator Hall of Famer. But, don’t forget, e’ry month is Black History Month…February is just the Blackest.
Today, our featured Black Educator is George Longe.
George Longe was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1898. Longe dedicated his career and life to the education of Black youth. He was educated in New Orleans Public Schools. From there, Longe graduated magna cum laude at Straight College. He returned to Straight College where to obtain his Masters degree. He also studied history and pedagogy at the University of Chicago.
Long began his career in education as a classroom teacher and in short order he began working in education administration. He served as principal of numerous public schools in New Orleans and in the 1930s, Longe began the ambitious yet vitally necessary work of developing a Black History course curriculum to be taught throughout New Orleans Public Schools.
Longe worked with a small team of city educators to develop a tentative curriculum. From there, Longe corresponded with Horace Mann Bond, who was at Fisk University at the time, for both resources and insight on how to do put the curriculum together; he also requested a course outline from Bond’s Negro History course to use as a starting off point.
For his efforts and dedication, Longe was made a charter member of the Negro historical Association of Xavier University. Longe also served as President of the Louisiana Colored Teachers Association for over 30 years as well as editor of the association’s publication, the Louisiana education Association journal.
In addition to his work as an educator, Longe was an active member of his local community.
He served as Chairman of the Colored Division of the Community Chest of New Orleans in the 1930s; Chairman of the Orleans Parish Committee of the United States Treasury War Finance Committee during World War II, for which he received the Medal for Distinguished Service from the United States Department of Treasury; Chairman of the Negro Division of the United National Clothing Collection for War Relief in Orleans Parish; a founding member of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans; and a supporter of various grassroots-level campaigns during the Civil Rights Movement.
George Longe; a member of the Black Educator Hall of Fame.
For more information on George Long, visit the following site.
