12 Things To Know About LaToya Cantrell, The First Black Woman Mayor Of New Orleans

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She was born in Los Angeles and spent much of her childhood in the California area, while also spending time with her grandparents in Alabama as a child.

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Her first jobs as a teenager included working at Del Tacos, McDonald’s and Blockbuster Video.

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She earned her Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Xavier University in New Orleans, before later completing an executive management training program at Harvard University.

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As president of the Broadmoor Improvement Association, Cantrell led efforts to oppose mayor Ray Nagin's recommendation that 5 New Orleans neighborhoods be turned into greenspace due to excessive flood damage.

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Her contributions to the recovery efforts included assisting with the re-opening of Broadmoor's Rosa F. Keller Library, assisting returning residents with rebuilding the neighborhood and spearheading the opening of the Broadmoor Art & Wellness Center, among other things.

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She is an avid New Orleans Saints fan.

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She was elected to the New Orleans City Council in 2012 and re-elected to serve a 4-year term in 2014.

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As city council member, she introduced a bill banning smoking in bars and restaurants in NOLA that passed in 2015.

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As Chair of the City Council's Community Development Committee, she worked alongside housing advocates and developers to confront the city’s affordable housing crisis.

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She has been married to her husband for 18 years and has one child, a 9-year-old daughter. She plans to create a space her new City Hall office where her daughter can do her homework to reassure her that she will remain a priority as her mother transitions into the new role as mayor.

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Cantrell made a conscious decision to attend an HBCU because it was instilled in her growing up.

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Cantrell says her goal as Mayor is to "build on our strengths to make the first truth [of a rapidly growing city where the average income is rising and new businesses are flourishing] a reality for all New Orleanians.”