Dillard University lights Avenue of the Oaks in honor of Rosa Freeman Keller
29th April 2024 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
On the night of April 23, Dillard University held The Lighting of the Rosa Freeman Keller Avenue of the Oaks to honor and remember Keller’s legacy both with the university and as a social justice activist.
Born in 1911 to a Coca-Cola executive, Keller’s life of activism included work on the New Orleans Young Christian Women’s Association’s Board of Directors. During her time there, Keller, who was white, became more acutely aware of racial discrimination. Her marriage to a Jewish man as World War II raged around the globe also opened her eyes to prejudices faced by minorities.
“It was bad enough that they (Black people) were kept out of privately owned facilities, but worse was my perception that ‘public’ meant ‘public for whites only,’” said Keller in her memoirs, which is now a part of the Amistad Research Center.
Keller would later become involved with the Urban League, where she tried to use her influence to open more doors for Black New Orleanians. She walked Black citizens into white businesses in an effort to convince more white business owners to give Black jobseekers a chance at employment. She worked to register Black voters as well as desegregate the city’s public schools and public libraries. She received death threats as a result of her work.
Keller also funded the lawsuit filed by two Dillard alumnae, Pearlie Elloie and Barbara Guillory Thompson, to desegregate Tulane University. She also served on Dillard’s board and received an honorary degree from the university. Later in her life, she would also advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in the 1990s. The city honored Keller by naming a South Broad Street branch of the New Orleans Public Library the Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center.
The initiative to light the Rosa Freeman Keller Avenue of the Oaks was spearheaded by Dr. Eartha L. Johnson, the Rosa Freeman Keller and Charles Keller eminent endowed professor at Dillard University. Johnson fondly and vividly remembers Keller’s encouraging, supportive presence at Dillard. She is proud to serve in the professorship bearing Keller’s name.
“Dr. Keller’s presence at Dillard was as inspiring as it was empowering. Her belief in every student’s potential continues to guide us. I am determined to uphold her vision for a brighter future,” Johnson said.
Dillard originally chose to name the Avenue of the Oaks after Freeman in April 1995. The landmark has served as a sanctuary on the school’s campus, and routinely hosts its baccalaureate service and commencement exercise.
One of Keller’s relatives, Leith Hill, currently serves on Dillard’s board. Two of her grandsons, Andrew B. Wisdom and Matthew Wisdom, have previously served on the board.
Keller’s family was delighted by Dillard’s recent gesture on her behalf.
“My grandmother loved Dillard,” said Luis Zervigon, Keller’s grandson. “All of our family just thinks Dillard University is a star of the city and a star of the region. We will always support it.”
Zervigon also pointed out that Keller loved nature so naming the Avenue of the Oaks after her was an appropriate tribute.
“We love that Dillard continues to think about her,” Zervigon said.
This article originally published in the April 29, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
