Sybil Haydel Morial, a trailblazing civil rights activist, educator and widow of Ernest “Dutch” Morial, the first Black mayor of New Orleans, passed away on Wednesday, September 4, after a long illness. She was 91.
Morial’s passing was confirmed in an official statement from her family obtained by EBONY.
“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,” the statement read.
“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,” the statement continued. “She confronted the hard realities of Jim Crow with unwavering courage and faith, which she instilled not only in her own children but in every life she touched.”
The statement also lauded Morial for her commitment to higher education and commitment to inspiring future generations. “As a teacher and university administrator, she imparted a reverence for education not only upon her children but upon her students and the many colleagues who had the good fortune to fall under her brilliant mentorship.”
She remains the ‘First Lady’ to generations of New Orleanians, who join her children, Dr. Julie Morial, Hon. Marc H. Morial, Mr. Jacques E. Morial, Ms. Cheri Morial Ausberry, Hon. Monique Morial; her seven grandchildren, her great-granddaughter and a host of friends, family and associates in our grief,” the statement went on. “We ask for the continued prayers of all who knew and loved her and that our privacy be respected as we mourn our loss.”
A celebration of life will be announced soon.
Born on Nov. 26, 1932, in New Orleans, Morial’s mother was a school teacher, and her father was a physician. After high school, she matriculated at Xavier University before transferring to Boston University in 1950 as one of the few Black students admitted into the institution. While at Boston University, she became friends with Rev.Martin Luther King Jr., who was completing his doctoral studies.
Sybil Haydel Morial and Ernest “Dutch” Morial. Image: courtesy of the family.
In February 1955, Haydel Morial married Ernest and relocated back to New Orleans, where the couple quickly emerged as frontline leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. She formed CiCulSo, the Civic, Cultural, and Social Organization, after being denied entry into the League of Women Voters because of her race. She also was a member of the women’s auxiliary of the Urban League (her son Marc is the current CEO and Preside
After years of civil rights services, Haydel Morial returned to Xavier University of Louisiana, where she served for 28 years and held several administrative positions. She retired in 2005 as Vice President for External Affairs.
In 2015, she released her memoir Witness to Change: From Jim Crow to Empowerment, chronicling her journey as a civil rights icon.
Condolences have poured in from across the country honoring Haydel Morial, including Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans, who released a statement praising the former “First Lady of New Orleans” for her remarkable accomplishments.
“The City of New Orleans and her residents are in mourning as we bid farewell to Sybil Haydel Morial. Mrs. Morial was a New Orleans treasure and trailblazer as the first African American First Lady of the City of New Orleans,” Cantrell’s statement read.
“The historical service of Mrs. Morial and her late husband Ernest ‘Dutch’ Morial, the first African American Mayor of New Orleans, will always be remembered as a shining legacy of love and inspiring leadership for the City of New Orleans.
We at EBONY send our deepest condolences and prayers to the family and friends of Sybil Haydel Morial.
