“Why do I do this? I want no political influence, no prestige, no office. Why do I do this? … I believe I do this because I am built this way.”
These words by Louis A. Martinet, one of the first Black lawyers in this state who led the Citizens Committee that challenged the separate but equal doctrine, describe Dr. Norman C. Francis perfectly. While Francis had many titles and roles in his life, three of his roles had the deepest impact on my life: the preeminent educator, a visionary and leader in the business community and a servant leader in the nation.
Through his faith, Francis was “built” to be the longest serving historically Black colleges and universities president in this country, educating thousands of African American students. He was “built” to found the largest African American-owned bank to create Black homeowners and Black-owned businesses; and he was “built” to be an amazing servant leader for our community and nation, chairing the Louisiana Recovery Authority that addressed the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana and New Orleans after the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, while also rebuilding Xavier University.
As a senior in high school in 1980, I took a course at Xavier. Being on Xavier’s campus under the leadership of Francis was amazing — Xavier was alive, and you felt it. Xavier recruited top Black students from all around the country who, consistent with Xavier’s mission and the leadership of Francis, believed they were there to contribute as leaders to a better society. Francis had an unshakable commitment to the power of education and believed that education was transformative to every student who set foot on Xavier’s campus. While I ultimately attended another university out of state, Francis left an indelible impact on me, such that I became a part-time instructor at Xavier as a young attorney. In high school, I witnessed the transformational nature of a Xavier education, and I wanted to play even a small role at Xavier under his leadership.
In 2017, I had the honor of being asked to serve on the Liberty Bank board of directors under Francis’ leadership as chairman. This allowed me to witness his phenomenal business acumen and commitment to working to ensure that every individual, regardless of race or ethnicity, has the right to “financial dignity” as we refer to it at Liberty Bank. His commitment to fairness and equity has created substantial home ownership and businesses and expanded access to capital in the African American community.
His calling as a servant leader for our community and the nation was, and will always be, the most significant to me. The positions he had, the roles he served, the individuals he assisted and the contributions made to our community and the nation are numerous. But Francis’ work as chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority for our city and state after the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 may have been his most notable philanthropic achievement, positively impacting the lives of millions of Louisiana citizens. As a member of the LRA, I had the privilege of watching Francis navigate the politics of recovery (national, statewide and local), while serving as the moral voice for why Louisiana and New Orleans had to be rebuilt. As then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco recognized in appointing Francis as the chair of the LRA, he was the only person who had the undisputed integrity, reputation and credibility to serve as chair.
Some of Francis’ own words make clear who he was and what he contributed to our nation: “We have to be able to make decisions about who needs certain things to be able to live a life, go to school, or anything else that is a part of living.”
There will never be another Norman C. Francis, and I am honored that I had the privilege of knowing him, learning from him and being mentored by him.
