Sherman Nathaniel Copelin, Jr. (born August 1943), is an American politician and businessman from his native New Orleans, Louisiana. The son of a funeral director, Copelin graduated from St. Augustine High School and then became active in student politics at historically black Dillard University, where he became student body president. He was hired to serve as an aide in the administration of Mayor Victor Schiro in 1968. In the 1970s, he and emerged as the leaders of the black political organization called (Southern Organization for Unified Leadership). SOUL's effectiveness in rallying the support of African American voters for candidates like Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards and New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu made him a powerful figure in New Orleans and Louisiana politics. Copelin was