LaToya Cantrell is the First Black Woman Ever to be Mayor of New Orleans

by Kathy Grear 05/11/2018

LaToya Cantrell, the newly elected mayor of New Orleans, has officially sworn in the oath of office. She has set a significant milestone as the first woman ever to be the head of the Louisiana city in its entire 300-year history.

“Almost 300 years, my friends – and New Orleans, we’re still making history,” she announced to the crowd in her victory speech for the mayor’s race in November last year.

Prior to her mayoral victory, she held an elected position for over 5 years from when she had been elected as a city councilor in 2012. She had also been a community organizer wherein she led the Broadmoor area’s restoration efforts after being hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

As the new mayor of New Orleans, Cantrell will be facing challenges that were left behind by her predecessor, including the city’s old drainage system and the stubborn violent crime.

She is also dealing with an investigation of city finances. Republican Attorney General has been accusing Cantrell of misusing her City Council credit card. The probe continues to now but it did not affect Cantrell’s candidacy. In fact, she won 60 percent of the votes over her opponent Desiree Charbonnet who came from a powerful political family in New Orleans.

Moreover, Cantrell’s Communications Director Beau Tidwell claims that “contrary to what Landry’s statement insinuates, the findings of his staff completely exonerate Mayor-elect Cantrell.”