Ponchatoula Color School Teacher Recalls the Days of Segregation & Integration

Mrs. Badon and her class: Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Badon

Ella Mae Ashe Badon was born to the union of Joseph Ashe and Elizabeth Robertson Ashe.  She is one of three children and the mother of two sons. One of her son's passed away. She attended Tangipahoa Parish Color Training School in Kentwood, Louisiana. "I finish school at 16 years old, I made two grade at one time," said Mrs. Ella. When she started teaching at the Ponchatoula Color School. She taught second grade and coach the boy basketball team at Ponchatoula Color School in the old wooden building. Mrs. Badon is a lifelong resident of Ponchatoula and is well respected throughout the community in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. One of her former students Dr. Kingley Garrison informed me of Mrs. Badon during one of our interviews.  She taught Mr. Garrion in second grade. 

Her sister Ruby Ashe Lowe also was an educator at Ponchatoula Color School. Mrs.  Ruby died at age of 90 years old in Hammond, LA. Some of the collections I looked at belonged to Mrs. Ruby Lowe. Mrs. Ruby was the first one in her family to attend college, her mother Elizabeth worked hard to help her two daughters get an education. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing her about her life, her accomplishments, and integration. She was eager to share what she could recall about the way life was back in the day according to her. I sat there listening and audio recording her. She was very detailed about the information she was sharing. Mrs. Badon, starting reminiscing and thinking about people she hadn't talked about in many years. So many memories started flowing about the community, the schools, civic organization clubs, and the black churches. 

Mrs. Ella Mae Ashe Badon

She pulled out her class reunion book of O.W. Dillon where she graduated in 1943. She told me I came to her at the right time because she had just put the booklet in the trash. Mrs. Badon didn't think that anyone wanted the books, records, and handwritten notes.  I was gleaming with joy when she said that she would allow me to assist her with preserving her collection for the studies of African Amercian history in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. 

I talked with her son Musheer Badr Abudl-Jabbaar about the importance of persevering her rich collection that is vital to the history of Tangiphaoa Parish, Louisiana. Especially the City of  Ponchatoula. 

She attended Leland College a college for blacks,  the college was established in 1870 first in New Orleans and then moved to  Baton Rouge. but earned her degree at Southern University in Baton Rouge.

On July 12, 1956, a group of women met and formed the Ladies' Mystic Club, with the idea of encouraging, through community support, "Finer Womanhood," and educational attainments. In the year of 1958, a new name was given the organization. It adopted the name it now bears, the "Altruist Civic Organization." The Charter members were: Mmes, Christine Greenup, President; Ella Badon, Vice President; Esterlee W. Spain, Recording Secretary; Lizzie Mae Seals, Financial Secretary; and Venola Simmons, Treasurer.

Mrs. Ella Mae Badon is one of the many prominent African-American women in the City of  Ponchatoula. She helped to shape and mentor many students both black and white to become all that they could become.  One of her photo albums of full of pictures of her former students, both black and white. A lady of class, respect and wisdom she is.