The RESEARCHERS (2026)
Below are the students who made this lab happen.
My name is Makena Reeves, and I’m a rising junior from San Francisco. In my portfolio, I talk about the Jeanes Teachers and focus specifically on Annie Wealthy Holland, a Jeanes Teacher who helped improve educational opportunities for Black students and communities. I also connected Holland’s work to my own experiences with my math teacher. Through this portfolio, I was able to explore how the Jeanes Teachers’ dedication to education and their communities continues to influence the way I view the teachers in my life, as well as my own education and experiences.
My name is Bailey Powell from New Orleans, Louisiana. I am seventeen years old and I'm a senior at Benjamin Franklin High School. I love history and African American Studies. In college, I plan to major in political science in hopes of changing the judicial system for African Americans. My portfolio represents the educational system for African Americans after the Civil War.
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Hello, my name is Camille Conrad, and I am currently studying History and American Studies at the University of California, Davis. I am specifically interested in the impact of accurate and inclusive historical instruction that prepares individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives to develop a holistic understanding of the present. This passion has strongly influenced my dedication to the subject and aspirations for a future career in museum education to reach as many people as possible and continue the honorable duty of preserving the past.
Amira Konate is the daughter of Amara Konate and Tammie Causey-Konate, and is a senior at Benjamin Franklin HIgh School (BFHS) and an honor roll scholar with a cumulative GPA of 3.89. In addition, she is captain of the BFHS Urban Culture Step Team, Track & Field, president of the BFHS Black Culture Club, Homecoming Queen, and Prom Queen.
Amira, who shows great promise as an actress, vocalist, and poet, enjoys using her talents to uplift youth in her community. This spring, she wrote and directed a variety show in which some 50 students performed, and was showcased twice at local news stations for her award-winning poetry. She is trained in Junior Civic Leadership, has co-hosted a Poetry Festival for New Orleans youth, and is preserving stories of local culture as an intern with Tulane University’s Story Keepers program in partnership with the Community Book Center and the Newcomb Museum of Art.