Dorothy Mae Taylor, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Dorothy Mae Taylor

Civil rights activist and politician

Date of Birth: 10-Aug-1928

Place of Birth: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Date of Death: 18-Aug-2000

Profession: politician

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Dorothy Mae DeLavallade Taylor (August 10, 1928 – August 18, 2000), was an educator and politician in New Orleans, the first African-American woman to be elected to and serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives.
From 1971 to 1980, she represented District 20, since renumbered, in her native New Orleans.
She had started her career as a teacher in the Head Start Program, designed to benefit children in their early years. She was also active in civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s, gaining more resources for facilities for African Americans in the city.
As Director of the Central City Neighborhood Health Clinic from 1980, she also worked to develop African-American leaders among her staff, and mentored a number of future politicians in the state.
In 1984 she was appointed by Governor Edwin Edwards as head of the state Department of Urban and Community Affairs, becoming the first African-American woman to hold a cabinet position.