Reverend Abraham Lincoln Davis, one of the leaders in the Civil Rights movement in New Orleans, was the first African-American to serve on the New Orleans City Council. He was appointed to the District "B" seat on the City Council in 1975 to fill the unexpired term of Councilman Eddie Sapir, who had been elected judge of Municipal Court. Davis was elected to the seat in 1976. Rev. Davis died in 1978.

Jim Singleton’s career with the New Orleans municipal government began in 1970. He was elected as Councilman for District B in 1977 and moved up to his present at-large seat in 1994. This photograph is from 1979.

Marlin N. Gusman entered city government as a minority business counselor during the administration of Mayor Dutch Morial. He later rose to become his Director of the Department of Property Management. In 1994 Mayor Marc Morial chose Gusman as his Chief Administrative Officer, a position he held until his election to the City Council in the year 2000.

Dorothy Mae Taylor was elected council member-at-large in 1986 (the first woman elected to this position) and served until 1994. Prior to her terms on the Council, she served in the Louisiana House of Representatives (1971-1980); she also served as Administrator of the Central City Neighborhood Health Center and as Secretary of the State Department of Urban and Community Affairs.

Lambert Boissiere was elected to the City Council in 1981. He represented District D until 1994. He represents district 3 in the Louisiana Senate. Johnny Jackson, Jr. was elected to the Council in 1986 after serving for fourteen years as state representative from District 101. He also left the Council in 1994. Councilmen Boissiere (second from right) and Jackson (far right) are shown here at the Fifth District police station groundbreaking ceremony, April 10, 1991. Pictured with them are, from left to right: District Commander Captain Mitchell Dusset, Councilmember Jacquelyn Clarkson, and Police Superintendent Warren Woodfork.

In 1981 Cynthia Willard-Lewis was Secretary to the Department of Finance. In the year 2000 she was elected as Councilmember for District E after serving in the Louisiana House of Representatives for seven years.

Ulysses Williams served as Interim Councilman for District E during the years 1985-1986. He was later Director of the Department of Utilities.