Witness to Change (Paperback)

Paperback. Exiled from her beloved hometown of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Sybil Haydel Morial began to reflect upon her lifespanning one of the most critical periods in our nation's historyand began this remarkable memoir. From her unique vantage point, she was witness to sweeping changesdesegregation, the end of Jim Crow, the fight for voting rights and political empowermentthat 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 activistsholding 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 Morials 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.…