List of first African-American mayors

List of first African-American mayors

In the 20th century, the first African-American mayors of cities were elected or appointed following the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement and passage of related legislation in 1964 and 1965. Achievements in African Americans' being elected mayor in majority European American and major cities marked important progress in breaking down political barriers. Their election as mayors of cities large and small made their political participation one of daily life in many localities. This list is devoted to all who were the first African-American mayors of cities. Whether appointed or elected from among those sitting on a city council or commission, and moreso if elected at large, mayors had to develop coalitions among many voters to win office.

In the 19th century in the South during Reconstruction, African Americans began to be elected to the many local offices: sheriff, parish or county justice of the peace, where government was closest to peoples' lives. They achieved the most positions in local government in the 1880s, even after Democratically controlled legislatures started creating new statutes to eliminate them from voting. Disfranchisement of most African Americans and many poor European Americans was essentially completed in all the former states of the Confederacy by passage of constitutions or amendments from 1890-1908.

The Civil Rights Movement progressed for decades in the United States, raising awareness of social justice. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, African Americans began to exercise more political power throughout the nation.

1860s

* 1868::First African-American mayor of a US town: Pierre Caliste Landry, Donaldsonville, Louisiana [ [http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/travel/25trail.html?scp=4&sq=Louisiana&st=nytRon Stodghill, "Driving Back Into Louisiana’s History", "NY Times", 25 May 2008] , accessed 7 Jul 2008]

1880s

* 1888::First African-American mayor of a predominately white US town, and of a Western US town: Edward Duplex, Wheatland, California [ [http://www.blackpast.org/?q=timelines/african-american-history-american-west-timeline"African American History American West Timeline", "BlackPast.org"] , accessed 3 Aug 2008]

1950s

* 1953::First African-American mayor of a US town: B.T. Woodard, Grambling, Louisiana [ [http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/travel/25trail.html?scp=4&sq=Louisiana&st=nytRon Stodghill, "Driving Back Into Louisiana’s History", "NY Times", 25 May 2008] , accessed 7 Jul 2008]

1960s

* 1966::First African-American mayor of a U.S. city: Robert C. Henry, (Springfield, Ohio, appointed by city commission)

* 1967::First African-American elected mayor of a large U.S. city: Carl B. Stokes (Cleveland, Ohio)::First African-American elected mayor of Gary, Indiana: Richard G. Hatcher

* 1968::First African American elected mayor of a predominantly white southern city: Howard Nathaniel Lee, Chapel Hill, North Carolina [ [http://www.ncuc.commerce.state.nc.us/overview/uclee.htm Howard N. Lee] , North Carolina Utilities Commission, accessed 25 May 2008]

1970s

* 1970::First African-American elected mayor of Newark, New Jersey: Kenneth A. Gibson ::First African-American elected mayor, Dayton, Ohio: James H. McGee

* 1973::First African American elected mayor of a southern state capital: Clarence Lightner, Raleigh, North Carolina::First African American elected mayor of a major southern city: Maynard Jackson, Atlanta, Georgia. Every mayor elected since 1973 has been black. [cite web
author=Lawrence Kestenbaum
title=Mayors of Atlanta, Georgia
publisher=The Political Graveyard |date=
url=http://www.politicalgraveyard.com/geo/GA/ofc/atlanta.html
accessdate=2008-03-07
] ::First African American elected mayor of a major western city: Tom Bradley, Los Angeles, California::First African-American woman mayor of a U.S. metropolitan city: Doris A. Davis, Compton, California

* 1975::First African-American elected mayor, and first elected mayor, of Washington, D.C.: Walter Washington::First African-American elected mayor of Detroit, Michigan: Coleman Young

* 1978::First African-American elected mayor of Oakland, California: Lionel J. Wilson::First African-American elected mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana: Ernest Nathan Morial

1980s

* 1982::First African-American elected Mayor of Augusta, Maine and first black mayor in Maine: William Burney
* 1983::First African-American elected mayor of Chicago: Harold Washington::First African-American elected mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina: Harvey Gantt
* 1984::First African-American elected mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey: James Usry::First African-American elected mayor of Philadelphia, PA: Wilson Goode::First African-American elected mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia: James W. Holley, III

* 1988::First African-American elected mayor of Baltimore, Maryland: Kurt Schmoke

* 1989::First African-American elected mayor of New York City: David Dinkins::First African-American elected mayor of Seattle, Washington: Norm Rice

1990s

*1990::First African-American elected mayor of Trenton, New Jersey: Douglas Palmer

* 1991::First African-American elected mayor of Memphis, Tennessee: W.W. Herenton::First African-American elected mayor of Denver, Colorado: Wellington Webb::First African-American elected mayor of Kansas City, Missouri: Emanuel Cleaver

* 1993::First African-American elected mayor of St. Louis, Missouri: Freeman Bosley, Jr.

* 1993::First African-American elected mayor of Dallas, Texas: Ron Kirk::First African-American elected mayor of Rochester, New York: William A. Johnson, Jr.

* 1994::First African-American elected mayor of Lewiston, Maine: John Jenkins::First African-American and first woman elected mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota: Sharon Sayles Belton

* 1996::First African-American elected mayor of San Francisco: Willie Brown

* 1997::First African-American elected mayor of Jackson, Mississippi: Harvey Johnson, Jr.::First African-American elected mayor of Houston, Texas: Dr. Lee P. Brown

2000s

* 2000::First African-American elected mayor of Columbus, Ohio: Michael B. Coleman::First African-American elected mayor of Selma, Alabama: James Perkins, Jr.::First African-American elected mayor of South Ogden, Utah and first African-American mayor in Utah: George Garwood

* 2001::First African-American woman mayor of major southern city: Shirley Franklin, Atlanta, Georgia, also the first woman to be elected mayor of Atlanta [cite web
author=Josh Fecht and Andrew Stevens
title=Shirley Franklin: Mayor of Atlanta
publisher=City Mayors |date=2007-11-14
url=http://www.citymayors.com/usa/atlanta.html
accessdate=2008-01-27
] ::First African-American and first woman elected mayor of Southfield, Michigan: Brenda L. Lawrence

* 2002'::First African-American woman elected mayor of Dayton, Ohio: Rhine McLin

* 2003::First African-American and first woman elected mayor of Greenville, Mississippi: Heather McTeer-Hudson

* 2004::First African-American elected mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Kip Holden

* 2005::First African-American elected mayor of Buffalo, New York: Byron Brown::First African-American elected mayor of Richmond, Virginia: Douglas Wilder::First African-American elected mayor of Mobile, Alabama: Sam Jones::First African-American elected mayor of Asheville, North Carolina: Terry Bellamy::First African-American elected mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio: Mark Mallory::First African-American elected mayor of Youngstown, Ohio: Jay Williams

* 2006::First African-American elected mayor of Auburn, Maine: John Jenkins::First African-American elected mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana: Cedric Glover

* 2007:: First African-American woman and first woman elected mayor of Baltimore, Maryland: Sheila Dixon:: First African-American elected mayor of Greensboro, North Carolina: Yvonne Johnson:: First African-American elected mayor of Vallejo, California: Osby Davis:: First African-American elected mayor of Wichita, Kansas: Carl Brewer (politician)

* 2008:: First African-American elected mayor of Blue Springs, Missouri: Carson Ross:: First African-American elected mayor of Lancaster, Texas: Marcus Knight:: First African-American elected mayor of Mansfield, Ohio: Donald Culliver

References


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