Ellis Marsalis, Sr.

Ellis Louis Marsalis Sr. (1908? - September 19, 2004) was an American businessman from New Orleans, Louisiana. Marsalis was a former poultry farmer and jazz musician turned hotelier and civil rights activist.

Marsalis was born in Summit, Mississippi to Rosa Gayden and Simmie Marsalis. [ [http://www.wargs.com/other/marsalis.html Ancestry of Wynton Marsalis ] ] He was the patriarch of the renowned Marsalis musical family that includes his son, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., and his grandsons Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo, Mboya, and Jason.

In 1943, Ellis Marsalis converted a barn on the shore of the Mississippi River into the Marsalis Motel. It catered to African-Americans, who were not allowed to stay at "whites only" New Orleans establishments under Jim Crow - the South’s segregation laws. The hotel and restaurant quickly became famous, attracting prominent musicians and some of the most influential civil rights leaders of the day, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Thurgood Marshall.

Ironically, the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement led to a decline in trade at the Marsalis Motel when all establishments were opened to all people regardless of colour. The motel was closed in 1986.

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