The school was founded in 1867 by the
Sisters of the Holy Family, the second
Black Catholic religious order in the United States, as a place where Black children could be educated during segregation. The order's founder, Venerable
Henriette DeLille, was a
Creole of color who has since become venerated within the Church. The school has undergone two moves in its history, having started closer to the heart of the city (in the
French Quarter), next to the sisters' convent at 350 Chartres Street. In September 2022, the school announced the hiring of its first-ever lay president, Pamela M. Rogers. It had previously been thought to be impossible for 2,000 years. The students were featured on multiple news outlets including
60 Minutes, and their proofs were subsequently published in
The American Mathematical Monthly. ==Athletics==