On November 14, 1960 (six years after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling), New Orleans Public Schools were integrated. After years of fighting the Brown decision, the City of New Orleans finally assented to desegregation. African Americans in New Orleans were given a test and only those who passed the test were allowed to enroll in the all-white public schools. Six African American students passed the entrance exam: two opted to stay at their old school, leaving the remaining four with the brave task of integrating the school system. 

The New Orleans Four (Ruby Bridges, Gail Etienne, Leona Tate, and Tessie Prevost) was a group of four six-year girls who desegregated the New Orleans Public Schools. Etienne, Tate, and Prevost attended McDonogh No. 19 Elementary School, while Bridges attended William Frantz Elementary School by herself. Many students learn about Ruby Bridges, but very few learn about the other three young girls. 

This Learning Lab is designed to educate students on the story of the four girls, while also reshaping the narrative to include the three girls (Etienne, Tate, and Provest) who are often forgotten in history by taking them on a journey through the mid 1950s to early 1960s, emphasizing the importance of learning the stories of all four girls.