New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell delivered a defiant defense of her time in office during a panel at the Essence Festival on Sunday (July 6), portraying herself as a resilient leader unfairly targeted because of her identity and values.
Speaking at a session hosted by the Global Black Economic Forum and framed around the topic of generational wealth, Cantrell used the platform to address what she sees as a broader effort to undermine Black mayors—especially Black women.
“We’re in a climate that wants to tear mayors down—and Black ones, and Black women, especially,” Cantrell said. “I was one of them. But the fact of the matter is, they didn’t take me out. But they tried.”
Cantrell, who is term-limited and in her final six months in office, made no mention of the controversies that have plagued her second term. Those include scrutiny over her use of a city-owned apartment alongside former NOPD bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie, taxpayer-funded international travel, and delayed infrastructure projects. She also avoided discussing her administration’s failure to follow through on promised public school funding.
Instead, Cantrell focused on what she described as her alignment with the values of New Orleans residents and the importance of supporting leaders who reflect those ideals. “Because we’re doing the work,” she said, “and then here comes somebody else who may not look like you, because you laid it all out.”
She warned that some candidates in the upcoming mayoral election may try to take credit for progress made under her administration, and urged voters to stay vigilant. “You have to be intentional… pay attention, be engaged, put your vote behind people that have alignment with your values and support them.”
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who shared the stage, praised Cantrell’s resilience. “Tough times don’t last, tough people do,” he said.
Cantrell echoed that sentiment. “It goes from celebration to crucifixion real fast,” she concluded.
