Russell Henderson, social justice activist, dies at age 62
January 04, 2011 Times Picayune
Submitted by N.O.V.A.


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Russell Henderson, a lobbyist and political activist who was a tireless advocate of progressive causes, died
Monday of cancer at Touro Infirmary. He was 62.

"Russ was a phenomenal guy," said Cedric Richmond, who will be sworn in today as a member of the U.S. House
of Representatives. Mr. Henderson was an adviser in his campaign.

"I've met very few people in my life who were more passionate about issues of fairness and equity and the
environment," Richmond said. "He really lived it, and everything he did was based on those principles of
helping people and making sure that everybody had a chance. I think he really woke up every day trying to
make the world a better place."

Mr. Henderson, a community organizer known for riding his bicycle everywhere he went, lobbied in Baton Rouge
for Second Harvest Food Bank, environmental causes, education reform, mental health and issues involving
children and women.

When Kathleen Blanco was governor, "she said she'd see Russell coming and know he wanted something for
social justice," said Virginia Boulet, a close friend.

In his legislative work, "Russell showed his forceful David-versus-Goliath courage, ... working on behalf of
numerous progressive causes even when the odds seemed insurmountable," said former New Orleans Mayor Marc
Morial, chief executive officer of the National Urban League.

"New Orleans and Louisiana have lost one of the true champions for its underdogs," he said.

Mr. Henderson was an early volunteer in the campaign that helped help Morial's father, Dutch Morial, become
New Orleans' first black mayor in 1978, and he frequently counseled Morial on legislation affecting the
city. In dealing with the mayor's forceful personality, Mr. Henderson possessed an essential asset, said
Winona Summerville, a Dillard University sociology professor who was Morial's liaison to the city's
colleges.

"Russell Henderson was the only person who could stand in front of Dutch Morial and say, 'You can't do
this,' " Summerville said, chuckling.

Morial offered him a city job, but he didn't take it, said Jason Henderson, Mr. Henderson's eldest son.

"He felt it was better not to be a civil-service employee or a political employee," the younger Henderson
said. "He thought it was more effective to be on the outside. He was a behind-the-scenes guy."

Mr. Henderson and Morial remained close until Morial's death in 1989. From then on, Boulet said, Mr.
Henderson started every election day with a visit to Morial's grave in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.

Friends said Mr. Henderson started developing his social conscience during the civil-rights movement.

"He was always looking for justice for somebody else," restaurateur Leah Chase said. "I don't think Russ
ever thought about Russ as a person. He always thought of somebody else."

When segregation was the norm and African-Americans were barred from most New Orleans eateries, Chase fed
civil-rights workers in the front room at Dooky Chase Restaurant.

Every Holy Thursday, when Chase serves up her gumbo z'herbes at lunch, Mr. Henderson always booked that room
for himself and about 30 friends.

"Russ didn't have a lot of money, but he'd always say, 'I pay for all this myself,'" Chase said. "I knew
Russ couldn't afford to pay for all those lunches, but he did."

A native of Prairieville, Mr. Henderson earned a bachelor's degree from LSU and a master's degree in social
work from the University of Michigan. He was a part-time member of the social work faculty at Southern
University at New Orleans and, later, Dillard.

He didn't stop teaching when school was out. Friends described Mr. Henderson as a well-read man who was
passionate not only about the causes he espoused but also about a wide range of subjects, including movies,
genealogy and New Orleans.

"He truly loved New Orleans," his son Jason said. "If he had been a cab driver, he would have known every
block."

Survivors include his companion, Doreen Keener; three sons, Jason Henderson of San Francisco, Aaron
Henderson of Zurich, Switzerland; and Jonathan Henderson of New Orleans; four brothers, David, Kevin and
Clyde Henderson, all of Baton Rouge, and the Rev. Michael Henderson of Lexington, Ky.; and a grandchild.

A funeral will be held Friday at 6 p.m. at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 5212 S. Claiborne Ave.

Charbonnet-Labat-Glapion Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.