Former NOLA mayor to be commencement speaker

Former New Orleans mayor Marc H. Morial is the featured speaker for the Jackson State University Fall Commencement at 6 p.m. on Dec. 12 at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.

An entrepreneur, lawyer, professor, former legislator and mayor, Morial is the current president of the National Urban League. He served as mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002.

With more than 25 years of public service, Morial has a wealth of experience to share with new graduates.

As an entrepreneur, he started several successful small businesses, including apparel wholesale company, a special events company, and a janitorial company.

As a lawyer, Morial won the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Award for his legal service to the poor and disadvantaged. He was also one of the youngest lawyers, at age 26, to argue and win a major case before the Louisiana Supreme Court.

As a professor, Morial served on the adjunct faculty of Xavier University in Louisiana, where he taught Constitutional Law and Business Law.

He has served as a Louisiana state senator, and as chief executive of New Orleans he crafted a broad multi-racial coalition, leaving office with a 70 percent approval rating.

As president of the National Urban League since 2003, he has expanded the 100-year-old civil rights organization’s work to focus on closing the economic gaps between white and black and rich and poor Americans.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics and African American studies, he holds a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., as well as honorary degrees from Xavier University, Wilberforce University, and the University of South Carolina Upstate.

He serves as an executive committee member of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Black Leadership Forum, and Leadership 18, and is a board member of the Muhammad Ali Center and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

He has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by Ebony magazine, as well as one of the Top 50 Nonprofit Executives by Nonprofit Times.

Many graduating seniors are looking forward to life post graduation and reflected on their matriculation at JSU.

“My time at JSU was very interesting.  I gained a sense of appreciation for other cultures and races.  I’ve grown as a man and made a lot of new friends and met some great people, some better than others,” said Randle Smith, Jr., a senior criminal justice from Scott, Miss.

Roderick Longino II stated that his time at JSU was the best experience of his life and helped him to become the man he is today.

“Life after JSU will be becoming a coach somewhere where I can help individuals grow and become something,” said the recreation administration major from Jackson, Miss.

A number of activities are scheduled in advance of Jackson State University’s Dec. 12 Fall Commencement Exercises.

At 8 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, an Alumni Breakfast and Graduation Fair will be held at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. The event is sponsored by JSU Alumni and Constituency Relations, Division of Institutional Advancement.

At 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, the JSU Army ROTC will hold a Commissioning and Pinning Ceremony at the College of Business Building, Room 134.

From 4-5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, the JSU Graduate Studies Exemplary Doctoral Scholars Recognition Reception will be held in the School of Engineering Building Atrium.

Commencement will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Lee E. Williams Athletics & Assembly Center. A live streaming and overflow location will be set up for Commencement at Rose E. McCoy Auditorium.

Tenesha Hughes contributed to this story.