After a century of being banned, jazz is back in New Orleans Public Schools

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — At Warren Easton High School, the jazz class sounds so sweet.

It did not always.

Believe it or not, the sound hit a sour note.

For what must have seemed like forever.

For 100 years as WGNO Good Morning New Orleans features reporter Bill Wood wants you to know.

Jazz and any kind of jazz dancing were banned in New Orleans Public Schools.

Asia Muhaimin, Director of Bands at Warren Easton High School says, “Taking it out of schools in 1922, we missed out on hundreds of musicians at that time. We could be reading about them today in the history books.”

In class, they talk about it,

It’s a fact.

And it’s history.

Since 1922, in the city where jazz originally got started, jazz was not allowed in public schools.

That’s until the Orleans Parish School Board voted unanimously to say, now, it’s okay.

Jazz is back.

Back where it belongs.

And where it’s really been all these years.