THE TIMES Meet the New Mayors
African Americans and Women Change the Face of Urban Living By Kristen Jones
Richard Hatcher Photo credit: Bettmann Archive While the “new” black mayor phenomenon may seem like a new trend today, the first African American mayors were actually elected during Reconstruction in the Southern United States beginning about 1867. After this period ended around 1876, it became increasingly difficult for African Americans to compete in elections due to racial discrimination such as Jim Crow laws. The election or appointment of black mayors would then become a rare occurrence until the 1960s when blacks again began to win mayoral positions following the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Crime and policing, education, gentrification and COVID-19 are some of the
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Harold Washington
major issues challenging city government executives today; with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic, these issues are nothing new for city leaders.
The following African American mayors made history and paved the way for a new generation of black mayors today. The first African American elected as the mayor of a large U.S. city was Richard Hatcher, who was sworn into office in 1968 and held his position in Gary, Ind., until 1988. His first mayoral race was intensely fought and was marked by corruption, racial violence, voter purges, intimidation, and blatant vote rigging—a familiar refrain in future elections in many major U.S. cities. Hatcher rose to the top, however, and defeated incumbent mayor Martin Katz. Carl Stokes, who was elected
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on the same day as Hatcher but hours later, became the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, in November 1967. He later became a news anchorman, judge and United States ambassador. Ken Gibson was the first African American elected mayor of any major city in the Northeastern United States. Gibson served as the mayor of Newark, N.J., (1970-1986) at a time when race riots and protests were a norm in the state. He defeated incumbent Hugh Addonizio, who was later convicted of extortion and conspiracy. Thought to bring a new light to Newark, Gibson worked to raise employment rates and keep its African American residents from fleeing
The African Heritage Magazine
| Winter 2022
