Category: Straight Up History

Straight Up History

Education during the Reconstruction: The Genesis of Straight University

Straight University was born from the American Missionary Association as part of a larger national movement for civil rights during the reconstruction era.

Operation Comeback

PRC Revitalizes the Last Standing Building of New Orleans’ Original African-American University

The Straight University Boarding House and Dining Hall building at 1423 N. Claiborne Ave. has been returned to its former grandeur thanks to PRC’s Operation Comeback department.

Straight Up History

Straight University’s Ties to Plessy v. Ferguson

Two graduates of Straight University’s law school worked to fight against Jim Crow-era segregation, organizing the protest which led to the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson case.

Straight Up History

Straight University’s Influence: from New Orleans to Detroit

Although short-lived, the influence of Straight University’s medical department reached as far as Detroit.

Straight Up History

Roy Joseph Weems: Straight College Athlete & Alumnus

Photos and letters from Roy Joseph Weems, one of Straight’s star football players, give a glimpse into student life at the school in the 1920s and 1930s.

In The News

A Timeline of Straight University

This brief overview highlights the history of Straight University from its founding during the Reconstruction era to its merger in 1930 with Dillard University.

In The News

Activists at Straight University

As activists and intellectuals lectured at Straight University, the institution became a center for the Civil Rights struggle during Reconstruction.