NEW ORLEANS — She wasn’t tall in stature, but Sybil Haydel Morial was a tower of grace, kindness, dignity, and courage. As a first lady, educator, civil rights activist, author, mentor, and mother, she inspired generations of servant leaders across Louisiana.
As the widow of New Orleans’ first Black mayor, Dutch Morial, and the mother of former Mayor Marc Morial, she was the matriarch of New Orleans politics for three decades.
On Monday, she was laid to rest by her family and thousands of friends and admirers.
Sybil Morial had a quiet strength borne of a deep commitment to equality, justice and service. Though she is gone, her legacy will endure through the many friends and family members whose lives she touched.
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