Two Thumbs Up: Connection, Community and Care — and the Power of Saying Their Names
By Jeff Geoffray
“I was in 7th grade, and so, so proud of my Mother's perseverance and sacrifices. This program completely changed her life and — by extension — mine, my siblings', my Daughter's, and my GrandChildren's! 💚🙏🏿”
— Sheree Camel, daughter of Adult Education Center graduate Eloise Camel
Sometimes a single message reminds us why this work matters.
On May 13, the 431 Exchange gathered with graduates, scholars, educators, supporters, and friends for an event called Connection, Community and Care at the New Orleans Career Center. Just days after the gathering, we received a note from Sheree Camel, the daughter of Adult Education Center graduate Eloise Camel. Her words touched us deeply because they captured something larger than nostalgia. They captured legacy.
The Adult Education Center changed lives not only for the 431 women who walked through its doors between 1965 and 1972, but for generations that followed, including my own family. Children. Grandchildren. Entire families. Entire communities.
That is why the mission of the 431 Exchange has always been about more than preserving history. It is about honoring people individually — saying their names, telling their stories, and recognizing the dignity, ambition, sacrifice, and brilliance too often overlooked in traditional accounts of history.
The work of scholars and advocates such as Kimberlé Crenshaw has helped illuminate the importance of remembering people not merely as statistics or as part of a collective movement, but as human beings whose individual lives mattered. In many ways, that is what we seek to do for every Adult Education Center graduate, teacher and ally.
But it is also what inspires our work with today’s adult scholars.
At the May 13 gathering, the spirit of the Adult Education Center was not present only in the graduates of the 1960s and 1970s. It was present in the current scholarship winners of the 431 Exchange — adult learners who, like the AEC students before them, are balancing work, family responsibilities, and extraordinary determination in pursuit of education and a better future.
They are not simply recipients of scholarships. They are our inspiration.
Their sacrifices, persistence, courage, and desire to improve their lives — and the lives of their families — remind us constantly why this work must continue. We say their names too. We celebrate their achievements publicly and follow their journeys not only through graduation, but into careers, leadership, and service to others.
The future of the 431 Exchange belongs to them.
Just as the graduates of the Adult Education Center passed a legacy of resilience and opportunity to future generations, today’s scholars are building the next chapter of that story. One day, this organization and its mission will rest in their hands, shaped by their experiences, their voices, and their dreams for the generations still to come.
And during our May 13 event, we felt that spirit everywhere.
We witnessed it in the laughter and tears shared by graduates reuniting after decades. We witnessed it in the warmth shown by families, supporters, scholarship winners, educators, and community leaders. We witnessed it in the extraordinary hospitality of the New Orleans Career Center, whose staff and leadership welcomed everyone with generosity, professionalism, and heart. And for those who could not attend, we hope the photographs, stories, and news coverage from the week help convey just how meaningful the experience was for everyone involved.
We want to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who attended and helped make the gathering such a meaningful success.
Special appreciation goes to our remarkable honorees:
Sister Judith Therese Barial, whose lifetime of educational leadership and service continues to inspire generations of students and educators.
Terrance Payne, whose leadership at the New Orleans Career Center demonstrates the transformative power of career education and mentorship.
We also want to thank the Adult Education Center graduates who shared their memories and wisdom, the 431 Exchange scholars who represent the continuation of this legacy, our volunteers and production team, and the many supporters and friends who traveled near and far to be with us.
And finally — two enthusiastic thumbs up to journalist Thanh Truong and the team at FOX 8 New Orleans.
Thanh’s beautifully crafted segment captured the spirit of the day with empathy, historical understanding, and emotional honesty. The report did something especially rare: it showed that the story of the Adult Education Center is not simply about the past. It is about doors opening — and remaining open — across generations.
The segment centered the lived experiences of graduates like Raphael Morgan while also connecting the story to the ongoing mission of the 431 Exchange and the forthcoming PBS documentary Exchange Place.
As we continue documenting the lives of all 431 graduates — and supporting the journeys of today’s adult scholars — moments like this remind us that history is not abstract. It lives in families. It lives in memory. It lives in communities. And sometimes, after nearly sixty years, it returns home through a daughter recognizing her mother in a photograph, a video, or a story.
That is connection.
That is community.
That is care
Sheree Camel told us that she was at the AEC’s 1968 graduation when she was in 7th grade and remembered being proud of her mom, Eloise, who gave one of the commencement speeches. We were so grateful to Sheree for connecting with us as we had been searching for information about her mom since 2018.
For years, I’ve seen the name, Eloise Camel, on this program and wanted to know more about her. Now, with the outreach from her daughter, we finally know a little more.
