Marc Morial On Yvonne Bechet: The City Has Lost a True Trailblazer
NEW YORK (July 6, 2020) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial, the former Mayor of New Orleans, issued the following statement on the death of Yvonne Bechet, New Orleans’ first Black woman police officer:
“New Orleans has lost a true trailblazer with the passing of Assistant Superintendent Bechet. She not only persevered but excelled at a time when not only women but Black officers were a rarity in the Department. She overcame racism and sexism to become a respected leader within the department. She embodied the spirit of community policing long before it became a watchword for modern policing.
“It was among the proudest achievements of my father, Ernest ‘Dutch’ Morial, to appoint her Assistant Superintendent when he served as mayor in the 1980s. She will forever hold a place in every New Orleanian’s heart.”