Civil rights activist Sybil Morial, wife of New Orleans’ first Black mayor, dead at 91

Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Civil rights activist Sybil Haydel Morial has died at age 91. She was married to New Orleans’ first Black mayor, “Dutch” Morial. One of their sons, Marc Morial, also served as mayor. But Sybil Morial was a leader in her own right, even as she worked as a teacher and raised five children. She helped found the Louisiana League of Good Government, which helped Black people register to vote, and she held numerous positions at Xavier University. She also championed the African American experience pavilion at the 1984 World’s Fair and helped produce a documentary about desegregation.