Dorothy Mae Taylor
| Dorothy Mae DeLavallade Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State Representative for District 20 (Orleans Parish) | |
|
In office 1971–1980 |
|
| Preceded by | Ernest Nathan Morial |
| Member of the New Orleans City Council | |
|
In office 1986–1994 |
|
| Succeeded by |
Two at-large members: |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 10, 1928 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Died | August 18, 2000 (aged 72) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Nationality | African-American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Johnny Taylor, Jr. (married 1948) |
| Children | Seven children |
| Parents | Charles H. and Mary Jackson DeLavallade |
| Residence | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Alma mater | Southern University |
| Occupation | Government official |
| Religion | Methodist |
Two at-large members:
Peggy Wilson
Dorothy Mae DeLavallade Taylor (August 10, 1928 – August 18, 2000), was the first African-American woman to serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives. From 1971 to 1980, she represented District 20, since renumbered, in her native New Orleans, Louisiana.
Taylor was the youngest of thirteen children born to Charles H. and Mary Jackson Delavallade. Educated in the segregated public schools of New Orleans, she subsequently attended historically black Southern University in the capital city of Baton Rouge. She was a Head Start teacher at the William J. Guste Elementary School, named for the late state Attorney General William J. Guste. She was also a civil rights activist who organized pickets, sit-ins, and marches. In the late 1950s, she successfully petitioned the New Orleans Public Schools and then the New Orleans Recreation Department to provide equal resources to blacks. In time, schools, playgrounds, and swimming pools were desegregated.
Taylor was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and numerous other civic and religious groups, such as the St. Marks and Methodist community centers in New Orleans. In 1948, Taylor married Johnny Taylor, Jr., and the couple had seven children. She was active for years in the Mt. Zion Methodist Church. She resided at 1300 Perdido Street.
...
Wikipedia