Tramelle Howard, J.D.
Louisiana State Director
Tramelle Howard is an educator, community advocate and a deep believer in the urgent need to advance equity in all of its forms across every context.
A Baton Rouge native, in 2018, Tramelle became the youngest person ever elected to the East Baton Rouge (“EBR”) Parish School Board. Shortly after taking office, he was installed by his fellow members as vice president of the board. There, he led the creation and adoption of EBR’s first charter school accountability policy — ensuring that schools are first and foremost serving the best interests of students and that students receive a quality education. He has also been a champion for diversifying the teaching force and making resource equity a priority.
Tramelle began his professional journey in education as an eighth-grade history teacher, serving with Teach for America South Louisiana after graduating with a juris doctor degree from Southern University Law Center.
It was while working in the Law Center’s student family law clinic that his belief in the primacy of education in shaping life trajectories was reaffirmed. There, his clients were largely children of color facing financial hardship and trauma and bearing the weight of the failures of an inequitable public education system.
He saw in the faces and spirit of those young people the potential of hope amidst struggle. He also heard the calling to empower young people facing the most barriers to success and ensure all students have access to a high-quality education.
Nickname
T-Mail
Secret Talent
Can play the trumpet and baritone
Proudest Moment
Being elected as the youngest African American to ever serve on the EBR School Board
What drew you to education?
Education provided me with opportunities that literally helped change the trajectory of my life. I was raised by a single mother who, despite never attending college, embodied and demonstrated the transformative power of hard work and commitment—working multiple jobs to ensure our family had what it needed.
Similarly, my maternal grandfather, who attended school only until ninth grade, instilled in an unyielding belief that education can change and save lives. I credit that commitment to education for helping to lift me and my siblings from poverty to build successful careers.
