At the heart of this special event is a rare, intimate roundtable with members of three of New Orleans’ most influential civil rights families — the Francis, Landrieu, and Morial families — whose leadership represents a powerful, enduring legacy that helped shape not just New Orleans but the broader arc of American democracy.
Shining a light on a state whose pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement is too often overlooked, this conversation — brings forward a legacy of courage, collaboration, and breakthrough leadership, connecting that history directly to the challenges and responsibilities of today.
Adding to the experience, Crush Funk Brass Band will bring the spirit of New Orleans to life through live music and a special presentation on the tradition of Second Line parades — a joyful, community-rooted practice long serving as an expression of resilience, remembrance, and celebration.
Marc Morial
Former Mayor of New Orleans
President & CEO of the National Urban League
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Marc Morial, one of the few national leaders to possess “street smarts,” and “boardroom
savvy,” is the transformative President and CEO of the National Urban League, the nation’s largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization.
He served as the highly successful and popular Mayor of New Orleans as well as the President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Marc previously was a Louisiana State Senator and was a lawyer in New Orleans with an active, high-profile practice.
He is a leading voice on the national stage in the battle for jobs, education, housing, health, voting rights, equity, and entrepreneurship.
Marc is a published author; his leadership book, Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons That Help You Inspire, United, and Achieve has been widely acclaimed, and his column entitled To Be Equal, reaches hundreds of thousands.
He is the host of the weekly syndicated television show, America’s Black Forum. A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, and the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics and African American Studies, he has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by Ebony Magazine, one of the top 50 Non-Profit Leaders by the Non-Profit Times, one of the 100 Most Influential Black Lawyers in America and he has also been inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta, GA.
Marc and his father, the late Ernest “Dutch” Morial, are history makers as the first African American father/son mayors in the U.S. and were the subject of a Double Jeopardy question on the legendary Jeopardy television game show in the 1990s.
Mary Landrieu
Former U.S. Senator
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The Honorable Mary Landrieu serves as a senior policy advisor at Van Ness Feldman, a long established and respected energy and environmental law firm with offices in Washington DC, Seattle, Houston and New Orleans. She represents a variety of clients helping to navigate the energy evolution to a lower carbon future. She is co-founder of the Climate Solutions Foundation, which has built strong bipartisan caucuses in the House and Senate that are helping to forge a durable energy policy for the United States that will build prosperity and security for our nation.
Landrieu served in the United States Senate for three terms, from 1997-2015. During her 18 year tenure, she chaired the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, the Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, and was the first Democratic woman to serve on the Armed Services Committee. She is credited with the passage of several important pieces of legislation: most notably, the landmark Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA); the Israel American Energy Alliance; and the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) – the single largest environmental investment in the Gulf Coast in US history.
While in the Senate, Landrieu was known for her bipartisan approach to addressing national challenges and her passionate advocacy for her home state of Louisiana, particularly in the aftermaths of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Prior to serving in the Senate, she was elected twice to the Louisiana State Legislature from 1979–1987. For eight years, she successfully championed causes related to women and children, flood protection, and education reform. In 1987, she was elected State Treasurer and served with distinction for two terms. Strong fiscal management, pension fund diversification, debt limitation, and the creation of the first-ever municipal investment fund (now valued at over $2 billion) are some of her noteworthy accomplishments.
Since leaving the Senate, Landrieu served on the Board of Directors for CenturyLink (Lumen) (November 2015-May 2020) and Tyler Technologies (January 2020–February 2024). She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Evergy, a Midwest utility company. She has been a leader in the public-school reform movement for decades and is a co-founder of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which supports the work of over 150 Members of Congress regarding policies and funding initiatives to support domestic and international adoption and foster care reform. CCAI believes that every child has the right to a safe, stable and nurturing family, and that every family deserves community support. In addition, Landrieu serves on the board of Resources for the Future, and on the National Academy of Sciences’ Gulf Research Program Advisory Board.
She earned her BS degree from Louisiana State University and is married to Frank Snellings, an attorney and real estate broker. They reside in Washington, DC, and have two grown children and one grandchild.
Mitch Landrieu
Former Mayor of New Orleans
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Mitch Landrieu is an American Politician, Lawyer, author, speaker, nonprofit leader and CNN political commentator. He served as the 61st Mayor of New Orleans (2010-2018) When he took office, the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and in the midst of the BP Oil Spill.
Under Landrieu's leadership, New Orleans is widely recognized as one of the nation’s great comeback stories. In 2015, Landrieu was named “Public Official of the Year” by Governing, and in 2016 was voted “America’s top turnaround mayor” in a Politico survey of mayors. He also served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Landrieu gained national prominence for his powerful decision to take down four Confederate monuments in New Orleans, which also earned him the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. In his best-selling book, In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner
Confronts History, Landrieu recounts his personal journey confronting the issue of race and institutional racism that still plagues America.
In 2018, he launched E Pluribus Unum, an initiative in the South created to fulfill America’s
promise of justice and opportunity for all by breaking down the barriers that divide us by race and class. E Pluribus Unum is building a series of programs and initiatives to cultivate courageous leaders who are committed to realizing an inclusive vision for a new South, champion transformative policies to reverse the enduring harms of America’s Jim Crow era past for those who continue to experience them today, and change narratives that perpetuate systemic and interpersonal racism in order to shift people’s attitudes and behaviors.
Prior to serving as Mayor, Landrieu served two terms as lieutenant governor and 16 years in the state legislature. He and his wife Cheryl live in New Orleans, where they raised their five children.
Tim Francis
Attorney, producer, and civic leader
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An attorney with the New Orleans firm Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert L.L.C., Timothy B. Francis focuses on litigation, business transactions and government relations. His experience touches a wide range of business, entertainment, art, political and legal ventures.
Mr. Francis’ interest in policy and politics began after earning a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University in 1980 and serving as an assistant to Moon Landrieu, then-secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Development, in Washington, D.C. Mr. Francis worked on special research projects, and reviewed and recommended projects for funding under the Urban Development Action Grant program.
After completing law school at Tulane University in 1984 and serving as class president, he practiced with the McGlinchey Stafford firm before returning to Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant and counsel to former U.S. Sen. John Breaux. During this time, Mr. Francis was a trusted adviser on numerous legislative issues, including banking, urban affairs, housing, labor, civil rights and health issues, as well as judiciary matters.
In 1989, Mr. Francis moved to Los Angeles to become chief operating officer of Stevie Wonder Enterprises. Mr. Francis managed the company’s daily operations, including film production, music publishing and marketing. He also negotiated licensing, endorsement and publishing agreements, along with financial and strategic analyses on new business opportunities for the legendary entertainer.
Mr. Francis returned to New Orleans in 1994 to practice law. Since then, he has immersed himself in a number of civic, business and social causes that reflect his wide range of interests and experience. His most notable efforts include playing an instrumental role in Xavier University becoming the first historically black college in the country to open a Confucius Institute. In addition, he worked closely with Stevie Wonder and the United Nations in an effort to pass a global treaty to help the visually impaired gain affordable access to braille and electronic information.
The Young Leadership Counsel included Mr. Francis in its list of the top 25 role models of 2015. Among other recent honors, he was one of Family Service of Greater New Orleans’ 10 Outstanding Persons and was named one of the city’s top 50 leaders in the legal industry as compiled by New Orleans CityBusiness magazine.
In addition, Mr. Francis serves as a board member for numerous civic, business, education and philanthropic organizations:
- Tulane University
- The Norman C. Francis Leadership Institute
- The Louise McGehee School
- The New Orleans Sugar Bowl
- The History Makers’ national advisory board
- Lionel Hampton’s designee on the National Committee for the Lionel Hampton Center
He is also a member of the New Orleans tri-centennial committee preparing for the city’s 300th anniversary in 2018.
Previous board positions have included The Contemporary Arts Center, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, The Louisiana Museum Foundation, the Gladys and Lionel Hampton Foundation, City of New Orleans Percent for Art Committee, The Board of City Trust, City of New Orleans and The New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission. Mr. Francis also served on the executive committee of the New Orleans Museum of Art.
He was a developer on two New Orleans hotel projects – Hotel Le Cirque, a Design Hotel, and the Renaissance Pere Marquette under the Marriott brand.
Crush Funk Brass Band
DC-based band embodying
New Orleans brass tones
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The Crush Funk Brass Band is a brilliant, innovative group of young musicians hailing from Washington DC. Comprised of alums from The University of The District of Columbia, Bowie State, Virginia State, and Howard University. Influenced by all genres of music, the band’s style is unique, embodying the brass tones of New Orleans, with an Urban Capital City modern fun(k) twist.
Having played from Northern Maryland to New Orleans, Crush Funk has performed for weddings, corporate galas and other special events. The band appeared on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Good Morning America, NBC, ABC , and WJLA. They have performed at The World Bank, Smithsonian and The Kennedy Center to name a few.
Atlas Performing Arts Center, Lang Theatre
1333 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002-4446