Oral Stories · The Living Archive

The Trailblazers, In Their Own Words

Statues and plaques can mark a moment — but only the people who lived it can tell you what it felt like. These oral-history recordings preserve the voices of the 43 Trailblazers of St. Charles Parish: what they faced as children in 1965, what it cost them, and what their courage made possible for everyone who followed. Each interview becomes part of the permanent archive, so future generations can hear this history directly from the people who made it.

Oral History Interview

Ulysses Frontha

One of the original 43 Trailblazers

Ulysses Frontha was one of the approximately 43 Black students who volunteered to transfer to previously all-white schools under St. Charles Parish's Freedom of Choice plan in the 1965–66 school year. He later taught for many years at Destrehan High School and brought the idea of formally recognizing the first Black students to School Board member Ellis Alexander — helping set the memorial in motion. In this interview, he tells the story in his own words.

Oral History Interview

Mrs. Evelyn Smith

One of the 43 Trailblazers

Mrs. Evelyn Smith shares her firsthand account of the Trailblazers' story — what it meant to be among the students who changed St. Charles Parish schools forever, and why this history must be preserved for the generations that follow.

The Archive Is Growing

More Voices Are Being Recorded

Interviews with surviving Trailblazers, their families and community members are underway. Your support funds the travel, production and archival work that makes each recording possible — before these voices are lost.

Support the Preservation EffortExplore the Initiative