Sherman Copelin
Sherman Nathaniel Copelin Jr. has been a defining force in Louisiana politics and business for more than five decades. A master strategist, organizer, and power broker, his influence helped reshape the political landscape of New Orleans and the state at large.
Born in New Orleans to a family rooted in public service, Copelin is a graduate of St. Augustine High School and Dillard University, where he served as student body president. His political career began in 1968 as an aide to Mayor Victor Schiro, placing him at the center of City Hall during a pivotal era in the city’s history.
In the 1970s, Copelin co-founded the Southern Organization for Unified Leadership (SOUL), a groundbreaking Black political organization that revolutionized voter mobilization in New Orleans. Under his leadership, alongside Don Hubbard, SOUL played a key role in the elections of Governor Edwin Edwards and Mayor Moon Landrieu, marking a turning point for Black political power in Louisiana.
Copelin also made his mark in business as head of Superdome Services, Inc., managing operations for the Louisiana Superdome. In 1978, he helped bring the historic Muhammad Ali–Michael Spinks heavyweight championship fight to New Orleans, an event remembered as The September to Remember.
Elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1986, Copelin represented the Lower Ninth Ward for more than a decade and rose to Speaker Pro Tempore. Renowned for his command of legislative process and strategy, his legacy reflects bold leadership, tactical brilliance, and a lifelong commitment to empowering Black communities.
He and his wife Donna are the parents of two children, Michon and Shane.