Carol Bebelle (a.k.a. Akua Wambui) is a native New Orleanian and a proud product of the New Orleans public school system. She received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University in sociology, and her master’s degree from Tulane University in education administration. She spent nearly 20 years in the public sector as an administrator and planner of human service programs. In 1998, she cofounded, with Douglas Redd, the Ashe Cultural Arts Center in Central City New Orleans. Ashe Cultural Arts Center, spotlighting African and African American culture and art, is dedicated to using culture as a strategy for human development, equity, and justice. During her 21-year term of leadership, ending in 2019, she successfully led the organization to a place of national prominence.