Honoring the Life and Legacy of Sybil Haydel Morial

Terry B. Jones Data News Weekly Publisher Last week we saw the passing of a great New Orleanian and American. Sybil Haydel Morial, the matriarch of one of New Orleans’ most iconic political families died at the age of 91. Sybil Haydel Morial, was the wife of Ernest “Dutch” Morial, the first Black Mayor of New Orleans, and the mother of former Mayor and present CEO of the National Urban League Marc Morial. During her storied and impactful life, she was a champion for civil rights, committing her life to education and equality. She was an activist, educator, and author. She worked shaping young minds as the Associate Dean at Xavier University for 28 years. The Morial family issued the following statement regarding her passing: “Words cannot express our sorrow at the loss of our beloved matriarch and guiding star. Our grief is tempered by our overwhelming gratitude for her life, her wisdom, and her love.” “Like many women of the Civil Rights Era, she was the steel in the movement’s spine. From the moment she met our late father, Ernest “Dutch” Morial, they were joined in the fight for justice and equality. She confronted the hard realities of Jim...