off to another plantation, never to be seen by her again. Azélie had no children and Anna, another enslaved person, became her companion. This story was recounted to Curtis M. Graves, a retiree of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and former member of the Texas Legislature. He was born in 1952 and is the son of Mabel Haydel Graves (1908-1999), the grandson of Elphège Haydel (1879-1959) and the great-grandson of Victor Haydel (18351924). Anna passed away in New Orleans in 1871. Victor and Celeste married in 1871 but had been partners since the 1850s. They never learned how to read and write because it was against the law to teach enslaved people anything except how to count. After the American Civil War, they both worked as domestic servants until they were able to purchase some land. They raised 10 children. The oldest ones never went to school and worked as day labourers to support their parents. Clay Haydel, the fifth child of Victor and Celeste, married Nellie Ory, the sister of the celebrated jazz musician Kid Ory. Their oldest son, Clarence Clement Haydel,
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figure 3. The Morial Family after Ernest 'Dutch' Morial was elected mayor of New Orleans (1978). From left to right : Jacques, Ernest 'Dutch' Morial, Monique, Marc, Sybil Hayden Morial, Julie, Cbery.  
was the father of Sybil Haydel Morial, an educator, activist and community leader. In 1978, Sybil became the first lady of New Orleans when her husband, Ernest N. Morial, was elected as the first African-American mayor of the Crescent City (Figure 3). Marc Morial, their son, also rose to fame. He was elected President of the United States Conference of Mayors and, like his father, served two full terms as mayor of New Orleans.