Elta Garrett is a well-known soprano who has dedicated more than 50 years of her life as a music teacher in Boston Public Schools. After retirement, Mrs. Garrett served as the founding director of the Hamilton-Garrett Music and Arts Academy. Serving as the Academy's director for twelve years, Mrs. Garrett now supports Hamilton-Garrett by serving as an active member on the Board of Directors of the Hamilton-Garrett Center for Music and Arts.

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As Mrs. Garrett celebrated her milestone 80th birthday in 2022, she looked back at her time with Hamilton-Garrett during the past 20 years. Sharing her stories of growing up in Bogalusa, Louisiana and her journey to becoming one of the first Black Americans to teach in Boston during the busing, Mrs. Garrett is overjoyed to witness the growth of Hamilton-Garrett today and the work that will be continued.