Louisiana

The Louisiana Colored Teachers Association (LCTA) was established in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1901 under the leadership of J.B LaFargue. The purpose of the association was to address the various problems that hindered the educational progress of black educators and students in Louisiana. For the first three years, they operated on a convention basis without an executive officer, permanent record, or permanent headquarters. The Louisiana Colored Teachers Association, later named the Louisiana Education Association (LEA) stated in a 1947 journal that it was "devoted to the problems of education as they relate either to the mental, moral, physical, economic, vocational, or financial welfare of the Negroes of Louisiana." LEA merged with Louisiana Teachers Association (LTA) in 1977 to become the Louisiana Association of Educators.