Witness to Change (Paperback)

Sybil Morial

ISBN 10: 0932112838 / ISBN 13: 9780932112835

Published by Carolina Wren Press, Durham, 2018

About this Item

Paperback. Exiled from her beloved hometown of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Sybil Haydel Morial began to reflect upon her life-spanning one of the most critical periods in our nation's history-and began this remarkable memoir. From her unique vantage point, she was witness to sweeping changes-desegregation, the end of Jim Crow, the fight for voting rights and political empowerment-that transformed the country during her lifetime. Her story is both historical and personal: it is an an account of her own evolution as an African-American woman in the midst of tempests of social and familial change. By necessity and choice, Sybil, her late husband, Ernest "Dutch" Morial, and their five children became political activists-holding political offices, participating in landmark legal battles, and fighting for civil rights. Sybil chronicles her encounters with the leaders of the Movement, as well as proving a glimpse into her family's life in middle-class Black society during the Jim Crow era. Far from a simply a witness to this important era, Morial's own role is revealed in these pages. As Ambassador Andrew Young, a childhood friend and later Sybil's prom date, relates in his foreword: "It is doubtful that New Orleans could have produced two mayors with the dynamic, creative, and visionary leadership of "Dutch" and Marc without a wife and mother of Sybil's loving strength, intelligence, and moral courage. But the life she lived in the crucible times and her perception of the civil rights movement in New Orleans goes far beyond that." Sybil Morial's autobiography traces her childhood in New Orleans, activism during the Civil Rights Movement, and continuing life of service. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780932112835

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Witness to Change (Paperback)
• Publisher: Carolina Wren Press, Durham
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0932112838
• ISBN 13: 9780932112835
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

From her unique vantage point in New Orleans, Sybil Haydel Morial’s life spans one of the most critical periods in our country’s history. In this remarkable memoir, Morial chronicles her life as both witness to and catalyst for sweeping changes―desegregation, the end of Jim Crow, and the fight for voting rights. These changes transformed the nation during her lifetime. Morial’s story is welcome inspiration for the struggle for political empowerment that continues.

As Ambassador Andrew Young, a childhood friend and later Sybil’s prom date, relates in his foreword: “It is doubtful that New Orleans could have produced two mayors with the dynamic, creative, and visionary leadership of 'Dutch' and Marc Morial without a wife and mother of Sybil’s loving strength, intelligence, and moral courage. But the life she lived in the crucible times and her perception of the civil rights movement in New Orleans goes far beyond that.”

About the Author

SYBIL HAYDEL MORIAL is an educator, activist, and community leader in New Orleans, Louisiana. The wife of the first African American mayor of New Orleans, Ernest N. “Dutch” Morial, Sybil spent her career in the education field, first as a public school teacher and later as an administrator at Xavier University in New Orleans.