New Orleans Native and President and CEO of Bright Moments, William “Bill” Rouselle Jr., has died at 77

Data News Staff Edited Report

William “Bill” Rouselle, Jr., native and proud New Orleanian who broke barriers and changed the lives of countless people through his motto of “Speak Truth to the People”, fought a fight grounded in hope and optimism for equity among all people.

Born in New Orleans on August 3, 1946, his life in the media is rooted in a desire for the truth, a commitment to change, and a will to leave this world a better place. The son of a public school teacher, Bill grew up in Uptown New Orleans. Nurtured by the rich New Orleans culture, he developed a love for his city, its people and a commitment to speaking truth to power!

For 40 years, Rouselle and his company provided public relations, marketing, and advertising services to a long list of clients including Liberty Bank, Total Community Action, The City of New Orleans, Entergy, New Orleans Public Schools, and New Orleans East Hospital.

One of the City’s leading political strategists, he managed successful campaigns for Public Schools and City Millage Elections, as well as numerous political candidates such as Dorothy Mae Taylor, the first Black Woman Legislator in Louisiana, U. S. Senator – Mary Landrieu, Mayors Ray Nagin, Mitch Landrieu, and the first Female African American Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell to name a few.

A 1967 Honors Graduate from Xavier University, Rouselle landed a publishing intern position with Time, Inc. in New York. That next year, he became the first African American on-air news reporter in New Orleans at WDSU TV.

After leaving WDSU, he would be appointed as Deputy Director of the City’s Human Relations Committee where he engineered the passage of a local Public Accommodations Ordinance, opening restaurants and bars to all citizens.

In the mid-70s, Bill hosted a weekly TV show on the public television station, WYES TV called Nation Time, while also serving as Producer for the Free Southern Theater. During this period, Rouselle joined the board of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation following a protest for Black involvement in the event. He would eventually serve as president and help oversee the development of the festival into one of the world’s premier music events.

Rouselle later worked as Director of the Parent Community Alliance, an organization developed to organize parents to be more involved in public school policy. He learned about community organizing in this role under the tutelage of Oretha Castle Haley, his most important mentor. In the late 70’s, Bill headed the Ad Hoc Committee for Accountable Police, which won increased civilian oversight of police involved in brutal citizen interactions.

In the early 1980s, Rouselle worked at the Black Collegian Magazine, a Black-owned and operated national publication based in New Orleans. Then in 1984, he and former Black Collegian Editor, Kalamu ya Salaam opened the doors of Bright Moments Public Relations Firm.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, while managing the day-to-day operations of Bright Moments, Bill hosted the Sunday Journal Radio Show every Sunday from 7 to 9 AM on WYLD FM Radio. He simultaneously hosted a weekly TV show on the Cox Cable Access Channel called The Liberty Network – sponsored by Liberty Bank. Both shows featured news analysis, feature interviews and hard hitting, honest dialogue between the host and the viewing and listening audience.

In 2007, Rouselle was honored with the local advertising industry’s highest honor, the Silver Medal, presented by the New Orleans Ad Club and in 2021, Rouselle received the Public Relations Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He served on many boards, including Black Education for New Orleans (BENOLA), the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and the New Orleans Citizens Committee.

A member of the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, where he served on the Usher Board, he is survived by his wife, Ethel Davis Rouselle; 6 children and 7 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.