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Ridiculous Ban on Jazz in New Orleans Schools Is Finally Gone

The century-old rule banning city schools from teaching jazz was widely ignored.

New Orleans may be the birthplace of jazz—but shockingly, the genre has long been banned from being taught in public schools under a widely ignored rule. That all changed on Thursday night, when the Orleans Parish School Board unanimously voted to reverse the century-old rule that kept students from learning jazz, which was rooted in early Black American culture. “This policy from 100 years ago was one that was rooted in racism from a board that did not believe there was a place for jazz music. …It’s so wonderful to celebrate how far we have come,” School Board President Olin Parker said. Though jazz was officially prohibited from being taught, some public schools ignored the rule over the years.