About Us

The namesake and role model for this school is a woman who took on multiple roles in her life: activist, abolitionist, suffragist, orator, pioneer and mother. Truth, a former slave and social justice activist, is best known for her famous speech "Ain't I a Woman?" which she delivered at the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1854. Just as Sojourner Truth was able to masterfully pursue a balance between self-improvement and community uplift, we believe that education should allow students to do the same.

At Sojourner Truth Academy, students while pursuing higher education, will become aware of the immediate community around them and find ways to make an impact by helping others.

OUR MISSION

Sojourner Truth Academy will empower and equip students to become scholar-leaders using college preparation and social justice activism as vehicles for the rebirth and strengthening of their own community. Students at Sojourner Truth are driven towards college preparation and social justice activism.

All students will participate in a rigorous, standards-based and results-driven curriculum that facilitates life long academic and professional growth. All students will be accountable for their own educational path, personal relationships and growth of their community. All stake-holders abide by the principle of "each one teach one" responsible not only for our own success and learning, but for that of our community and classmates as well. When we stumble, we will use that opprtunity to grow as citizens and better ourselves from the experience.

Read more about our core educational philosophy

Our History

It started as vision, the vision of two impassioned, driven, and bright women who when first set foot in New Orleans instantly felt a connection.

They arrived in the city in April of 2007 for what was to be a weeklong visit and immediately knew this was a place – a city, a people and a culture, they wanted to join. And so what began as a trip to help rebuild McDonough 42 Elementary became the birth of Sojourner Truth Academy.

Armed with unwavering determination and experience in some of the toughest Los Angeles public schools, Channa Mae Cook and Kristin Leigh Moody set their sites on New Orleans and rebuilding a troubled public school system. With the support of New Schools for New Orleans, Channa and Kristin relocated to New Orleans in June of 2007 to begin developing the fundamentals of Sojourner Truth Academy. Their goal was to create an environment that offered students an inclusive, community-centered education combined with rigorous college preparation and social justice activism.

As the pillars, mission and values of the school began to take shape, Channa and Kristin began to assemble a Founding Board of Directors who would be critical to turning their vision into a reality. After interviewing a wide spectrum of members of the community, Channa and Kristin decided on 6 people who would become the founding Board.

With a Board of Directors in place, Channa and Kristin worked tirelessly to complete the rigorous Charter School Application for the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). On October 30th, the group traveled to Baton Rouge for their interview and to present the application to BESE. The response from BESE was positive and on December 6, Sojourner Truth Academy was granted a charter as a Type 5 open enrollment charter high school.

Sojourner Truth Academy, with a staff of 14 committed founding teachers and staff, first opened its doors on Monday, August 18, 2008 serving 120 ninth grade students from Orleans Parish.