List of first African-American mayors

In the 19th century in the American South during Reconstruction, African Americans began to be elected to many local offices, such as sheriff

Sheriff

A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

or justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

, and some became the first African-American mayors of cities and towns. After this brief period, African Americans found themselves unavailable to obtain mayoral offices due to racial discrimination. In the 1960s, they again began to be elected elected or appointed to mayoral positions following the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement

Civil rights movement

The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...

and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...

and Voting Rights Act

Voting Rights Act

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S....

of 1965. Achievements in African Americans' being elected mayor in majority-European American

European American

A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...

and other municipalities made their political participation one of daily life in many localities.


19th century: 1860s • 1880s 20th century: 1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s 20th century: 2000s • 2010s References

1860s

1868

First African American elected mayor of a U.S. town: Pierre Caliste Landry

Pierre Caliste Landry

Pierre Caliste Landry was an American slave who later was an attorney, politician, and religious leader...

, Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Donaldsonville is a city in and the parish seat of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the west bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 7,605 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Acadians began to settle in the area in...

1869

First African-American mayor of Maryville, Tennessee

Maryville, Tennessee

Maryville is the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The city is located south of Knoxville. Maryville's population was 27,258 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Maryville has received a number of accolades for its...

: W. B. Scott

1880s

1888

First African-American mayor of a predominately white U.S. town, and of a Western U.S. town: Edward Duplex

Edward duplex

Edward Park Duplex was an African-American pioneer of California. He was elected mayor of Wheatland, California in 1888.-Biography:...

, Wheatland, California

Wheatland, California

Wheatland is a city in Yuba County, California, United States. The population was 3,456 at the 2010 census, up from 2,275 at the 2000 census. Wheatland is located southeast of Marysville...

1960s

1966

First African-American mayor of a U.S. city: Robert C. Henry

Robert C. Henry

Robert Clayton Henry was mayor of Springfield, Ohio from 1966 to 1968. He was the first African-American mayor of an American city of any size, though this achievement is frequently overshadowed by fellow African American mayor Carl B. Stokes, who was elected mayor of Cleveland in 1967.Henry was...

, Springfield, Ohio

Springfield, Ohio

Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...

(appointed by city commission)

1967

First African American elected mayor of a large U.S. city: Carl B. Stokes

Carl B. Stokes

Carl Burton Stokes was an American politician of the Democratic party who served as the 51st mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Elected on November 7, 1967, but took office on Jan 1, 1968, he was the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city. Fellow Ohioan Robert C. Henry was the first African...

(Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

)

First African American elected mayor of Gary, Indiana

Gary, Indiana

Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...

: Richard G. Hatcher

Richard G. Hatcher

Richard Gordon Hatcher became on January 1, 1968, the first African-American mayor of Gary, Indiana. He had won election the previous November as one of the first black mayors elected in a northern industrial city and the first in the state of Indiana.Hatcher earned his B.S. from Indiana...

First African American appointed mayor of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

: Walter Washington

Walter Washington

Walter Edward Washington, was an American politician, the first home-rule mayor of the District of Columbia...

(see also: 1975)

1968

First African American elected mayor of a predominantly white southern city: Howard Nathaniel Lee

Howard Nathaniel Lee

Howard Nathaniel Lee is an American politician from the U.S. state of North Carolina.After earning a bachelor's degree from Fort Valley State College and a Master's in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he accepted a position at Duke University in 1966.On May 6,...

, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...

1969

First African American elected mayor of a Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

city: Charles Evers

Charles Evers

James Charles Evers is a prominent American civil rights advocate. The older brother of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers, Charles Evers is a leading civil rights spokesman within the Republican Party in his native Mississippi. In 1969 he became the first African American since the...

, Fayette, Mississippi

Fayette, Mississippi

Fayette is a city in Jefferson County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,242 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jefferson County.-Geography:Fayette is located at ....

1970s

1970

First African American elected mayor of Newark, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey

Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

: Kenneth A. Gibson

Kenneth A. Gibson

Kenneth Allen Gibson is an American Democratic Party politician, who was elected in 1970 as the 34th Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, the largest city in the state. He was the first African American elected mayor of any major Northeastern U.S. city...

First African American elected mayor of Dayton, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

: James H. McGee

First African American appointed mayor of Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

: A. Price Woodard

First African-American elected mayor of Salina, Kansas

Salina, Kansas

Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...

: Robert C. Caldwell

1971

First African American appointed mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

: Lyman Parks

Lyman Parks

Lyman S. Parks was the mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan from 1971 to 1976. He was the first African-American to serve in the position. He was also the first African-American elected to the Grand Rapids City Commission in 1968....

(see also: 1973)

1972

First African-American mayor of Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...

: James R. Ford

James R. Ford

James R. Ford, accomplished educator, politician, businessman and community activist, was born on December 1, 1925, in Leon County, Florida. He attended Florida A&M University, where he earned his B.S. in 1950 and his M.Ed. in 1959....

1973

First African American elected mayor of Detroit: Coleman Young

Coleman Young

Coleman Alexander Young served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.-Pre-Mayoral career:Young was born in Tuscaloosa,...

First African American elected mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...

: Clarence Lightner

Clarence Lightner

Clarence Everett Lightner was the first popularly elected Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina and the first African American elected mayor of a metropolitan Southern city...

First African American elected mayor of a major Southern city: Maynard Jackson

Maynard Jackson

Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. was an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and the first African American mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. He served three terms, two consecutive terms from 1974 until 1982 and a third term from 1990 to 1994...

, Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

First African American elected mayor of a major Western city: Tom Bradley

Tom Bradley (politician)

Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...

, Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

First African American woman mayor of a major satellite city: Doris A. Davis

Doris A. Davis

Doris A. Davis is a former mayor of Compton, California, who earned a place in history as the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States.-Political career:...

, Compton, California

Compton, California

Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...

First African American elected mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan: Lyman Parks

Lyman Parks

(see also: 1971)

1975

First African American elected mayor, and first elected mayor, of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

: Walter Washington

Walter Washington

Walter Edward Washington, was an American politician, the first home-rule mayor of the District of Columbia...

(see also: 1967)

1977

First African American mayor of Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

: Henry L. Marsh

Henry L. Marsh

Henry L. Marsh III is an American civil rights lawyer and politician. A Democrat, in 1977 Marsh was elected by the city council as the first African-American mayor of Richmond. He was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1991, and has been re-elected...

(Note: elected from within nine City Council members; changed to general election in 2003)

1978

First African American elected mayor of Oakland, California

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

: Lionel J. Wilson

First African American elected mayor of New Orleans: Ernest Nathan Morial

Ernest Nathan Morial

Ernest Nathan Morial was a U.S. political figure and a leading civil rights advocate. He was the first black mayor of New Orleans, serving from 1978 to 1986. He was the father of former New Orleans mayor Marc Morial.-Early life and career:Morial was born in New Orleans of Creole ancestry and grew...

1979

First African American elected mayor of Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...

: Richard Arrington, Jr.

1980s

1981

First African American elected mayor of Spokane, Washington

Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...

: James Everett Chase

James Everett Chase

James Everett Chase was an American politician. He was elected mayor of Spokane, Washington by a landslide 62 percent to 38 percent margin in 1981, becoming Spokane's first African American mayor...

1982

First African American appointed mayor of Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

: J.O. Patterson, Jr.

J.O. Patterson, Jr.

James Oglethorpe "J.O." Patterson, Jr. was a Bishop in the COGIC and a former Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee.-Biography:...

1983

First African American elected Mayor of Chicago

Mayor of Chicago

The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...

: Harold Washington

Harold Washington

Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...

First African American elected mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

: Harvey Gantt

Harvey Gantt

Harvey Bernard Gantt is an American architect and Democratic politician active in North Carolina. He was Mayor of Charlotte from 1983 to 1987, and ran twice for the United States Senate....

1984

First African American elected Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey: James Leroy Usry

First African American elected Mayor of Philadelphia: Wilson Goode

First African American elected mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...

: James W. Holley, III

James W. Holley, III

James W. Holley, III is an American politician and retired dental surgeon. Holley served two terms as mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia. Both terms ended with his being recalled from office, making him the only known politician in American history to be twice recalled.-Early life:After graduating...

1988

First African American elected mayor of Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

: Kurt Schmoke

Kurt Schmoke

Kurt Lidell Schmoke is the Dean of the Howard University School of Law and a former mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. The son of Murray and Irene B. Reid , he attended the public schools of Baltimore...

First African American elected mayor of Hempstead, New York

Hempstead (village), New York

Hempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...

: James A. Garner

James Garner (politician)

James Garner is a U.S. politician from the Republican party who was mayor of the Village of Hempstead, New York from 1988 to 2005, and was the first African-American to be elected a mayor on Long Island....

1989

First African American elected mayor of New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

: David Dinkins

David Dinkins

David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...

First African American elected mayor of Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

: Norm Rice

Norm Rice

Norman Blann Rice was the 49th mayor of Seattle, Washington, serving two terms from 1989-1997. Rice was Seattle's first, and to date only, African-American mayor.-Early life:...

First African American elected mayor of New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...

: John C. Daniels

1990s

1990

First African American elected Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey

Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey

Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey:*Tony F. Mack 2010 to present.*Douglas Harold Palmer 1990 to 2010. Douglas Harold Palmer was the first African American mayor of Trenton, New Jersey.*Arthur John Holland 1970 to circa 1990....

: Douglas Palmer

Douglas Palmer

Douglas Harold Palmer was the first African American mayor of Trenton, New Jersey.- Biography :He was born in Trenton and attended Trenton public schools. He then graduated from the Bordentown Military Institute in Bordentown, New Jersey...

First African American elected mayor of New Bern, North Carolina

New Bern, North Carolina

New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...

: Leander R. "Lee" Morgan

1991

First African American elected mayor of Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

: W.W. Herenton

First African American elected mayor of Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

: Wellington Webb

Wellington Webb

Wellington E. Webb is a former mayor of Denver, Colorado. He is a graduate of the city's Manual High School. He was Denver's first African-American Mayor.Webb served as mayor of Denver for 12 years, from 1991 to 2003...

First African American elected mayor of Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

: Emanuel Cleaver

Emanuel Cleaver

Emanuel Cleaver II is a United Methodist pastor and the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and in January 2010 became chair of the Congressional Black Caucus....

First African American woman elected mayor of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

: Sharon Pratt Kelly

Sharon Pratt Kelly

Sharon Pratt Kelly , formerly Sharon Pratt Dixon and now known as Sharon Pratt, was the third mayor of the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1995. Pratt was the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of a major American city...

1993

First African American elected mayor of St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

: Freeman Bosley, Jr.

Freeman Bosley, Jr.

Freeman R. Bosley Jr. was the forty-third mayor of St. Louis , and the city's first African-American mayor.-Early life and education:...

First African American elected mayor of Rochester, New York

Rochester, New York

Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

: William A. Johnson, Jr.

William A. Johnson, Jr.

William A. "Bill" Johnson, Jr. was the first African-American elected mayor of the City of Rochester, New York. Elected in November 1993, Johnson was the 64th mayor of the city and was re-elected in 1997 and 2001...

1994

First African American and first woman elected mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

: Sharon Sayles Belton

Sharon Sayles Belton

Sharon Sayles Belton is an American community leader, politician and activist. She is currently the VP of Community Relations and Government Affairs for Thomson Reuters Legal business.-Early years:...

1995

First African American elected mayor of Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

: Ron Kirk

Ron Kirk

Ronald "Ron" Kirk is the 16th United States Trade Representative, serving in the Obama administration. He served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 1995 to 2002; he also ran for the United States Senate in 2002.-Early life and career:...

1996

First African American elected mayor of San Francisco: Willie Brown

Willie Brown (politician)

Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served over 30 years in the California State Assembly, spending 15 years as its Speaker, and afterward served as the 41st mayor of San Francisco, the first African American to do so...

1997

First African American elected mayor of Jackson, Mississippi

Jackson, Mississippi

Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...

: Harvey Johnson, Jr.

Harvey Johnson, Jr.

Harvey Johnson, Jr. , is the current mayor and first African American mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.-Biography:Harvey Johnson, Jr. was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and attended the Vicksburg Public Schools, graduating from Rosa A. Temple High School...

First African American elected mayor of Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

: Lee P. Brown

Lee P. Brown

Lee Patrick Brown had a long-time career in law enforcement, leading police departments in Atlanta, Houston and New York over the course of nearly four decades. During this time he helped to implement a number of techniques in community policing that appeared to result in substantial decreases in...

2000s

2000

First African American elected mayor of Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

: Michael B. Coleman

Michael B. Coleman

Michael B. Coleman is an American politician of the Democratic Party, the 52nd and current mayor of Columbus, Ohio. He is the first African-American mayor of Ohio's capital....

2001

First African-American elected Mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...

: Johnny L. Dupree

First African-American woman mayor of major Southern city, and first woman to be elected mayor of Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

: Shirley Franklin

Shirley Franklin

Shirley Clarke Franklin is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and served as mayor of Atlanta, Georgia from 2002 to 2010...

First African American and first woman elected mayor of Southfield, Michigan

Southfield, Michigan

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...

: Brenda L. Lawrence

Brenda L. Lawrence

Brenda L. Lawrence is the current mayor of Southfield, Michigan and was the Democratic nominee for Michigan lieutenant governor in 2010.-Early life:...

2002

First African-American woman elected mayor of Dayton, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

: Rhine McLin

Rhine McLin

Rhine Lana McLin is an American Democratic politician from Ohio. McLin received her Bachelor of Arts in sociology and secondary education from Parsons College and her Master of Education in guidance counseling from Xavier University...

2003

First African American elected by citizens as mayor of Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee, Florida

: John Marks

John Marks (mayor)

John R. Marks, III is the Mayor of the City of Tallahassee, Florida. He is Tallahassee's fifth African-American mayor but the first to be elected, and won his bid for a third term in the 2010 elections. He received his B.S. degree in 1969 from the Florida State University School of Business and his...

2004

First African American elected mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

: Kip Holden

Kip Holden

Melvin L. "Kip" Holden is the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The parish includes the state capitol of Baton Rouge and smaller suburban cities like Baker, Central City and Zachary. He was elected the city's mayor on November 3, 2004. He unseated the Republican...

First African American mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

: Marvin Pratt

Marvin Pratt

Marvin E. Pratt is an American politician who served as acting mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2004.-Early life:...

First African American elected mayor of Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...

: Carl A. Redus, Jr.

2005

First African American elected mayor of Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

: Byron Brown

Byron Brown

Byron William Brown II is the 58th and current mayor of Buffalo, New York, elected on November 8, 2005 and is the city's first African-American mayor. He previously served Western New York as a member of the New York State Senate and Buffalo Common Council...

First African American elected mayor of Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

: Sam Jones

Sam Jones (mayor)

Samuel Leon Jones is serving his first term as mayor of his hometown, Mobile, Alabama. He is Mobile's first African American mayor. He ran on a platform of safety, efficient government, historic preservation and bringing employers to the city....

First African American elected mayor of Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...

: Terry Bellamy

Terry Bellamy

Terry M. Bellamy is the current mayor of Asheville, North Carolina. She was first elected to the Asheville City Council in 1999 and won re-election in 2003. She was elected Mayor in November 2005, defeating incumbent Mayor Charles Worley in the October primary. Bellamy became the youngest mayor...

First African American elected mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

: Mark Mallory

First African American elected mayor of Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

: Jay Williams

Jay Williams (politician)

Roy Kojo Jawara Williams is the executive director of the federal Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, and the former mayor of Youngstown, Ohio. His election in 2005 gained local and regional media attention because it brought Youngstown its first African-American mayor as well...

2006

First African American elected mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana

Shreveport, Louisiana

Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....

: Cedric Glover

Cedric Glover

Cedric Bradford Glover is the Democratic mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana -- the first African American to hold the position.Outgoing Mayor Keith Hightower was term-limited in 2006, after having won election in both 1998 and 2002...

First African American elected mayor of Anderson, South Carolina

Anderson, South Carolina

Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was estimated at 26,242 in 2006, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 70,530...

: Terence Roberts

Terence Roberts

Terence Roberts is the current mayor of Anderson, South Carolina, serving since July 1, 2006. Roberts is the first African-American mayor of Anderson.-External links:* official government website...

2007

First African American woman and first woman elected mayor of Baltimore

Baltimore

: Sheila Dixon

Sheila Dixon

Sheila Ann Dixon served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, a Democrat, became mayor and served out the remaining year of O'Malley's term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor...

First African American elected mayor of Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...

: Yvonne Johnson

Yvonne Johnson

Yvonne Johnson was the mayor of Greensboro, North Carolina from 2007 until 2009. She was previously a member of the Greensboro City Council for 14 years and Mayor Pro-Tem for 6 years. Johnson was the first African-American to serve as Greensboro's mayor....

First African American elected mayor of Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas

: Carl Brewer

Carl Brewer (politician)

Carl Brewer is the mayor of Wichita, Kansas. He is Wichita's first elected African American mayor. He won his first term in 2007. Brewer was re-elected to a second four year term on April 5, 2011....

First African American elected mayor of South Harrison Township, New Jersey

South Harrison Township, New Jersey

South Harrison Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 2,417....

: Charles Tyson

2008

First African American elected mayor of Blue Springs

Blue Springs, Missouri

Blue Springs is a city in Jackson County, Missouri and is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2010 census the population at 52,575.- Geography :...

, Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

: Carson Ross

Carson Ross

Carson Ross is the mayor of Blue Springs, Missouri. He is the first African American mayor of Blue Springs. He is a Republican. Prior to becoming mayor he was a state representative. Also responsible for purchasing two David Cook signs valued at $6,000 each.- References :...

First African American elected mayor of Lancaster

Lancaster, Texas

Lancaster is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 25,894 at the 2000 census.Lancaster is a suburb of Dallas, Texas and is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes Lancaster, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Duncanville. Most of the city is in Dallas County. But a...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

: Marcus Knight

Marcus Knight

Marcus Knight is a former National Football League wide receiver/kick returner for the Oakland Raiders and a former Arena Football League wide receiver/defensive back for the Columbus Destroyers....

First African American elected mayor of Mansfield

Mansfield, Ohio

Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately southwest of Cleveland and northeast of Columbus....

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

: Donald Culliver

Donald Culliver

Donald Culliver was sworn to office on December 1 2007 after being elected to serve by the people of Mansfield, Ohio on November 6 2007. He is the first African-American in history to be elected Mayor of Mansfield.-Political life:...

First African American elected mayor of Sacramento

Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

: Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson

Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...

First African American mayor of Festus, Missouri

Festus, Missouri

Festus is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,367 at the 2009 estimated census. Festus and its neighbor Crystal City are often collectively known as the "Twin Cities"; however, they are incorporated separately....

: Earl Cook

2009

First African American elected mayor of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Mississippi

Philadelphia is a city in and the county seat of Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...

, Mississippi

Mississippi

: James Young

James Young (mayor)

James A. Young is an American politician, who was elected mayor of Philadelphia, Mississippi in May 2009. His election was especially noted as he is the first African American mayor of the city, which was previously best known for the murder of three civil rights workers by members of the Ku Klux...

First African American elected mayor of Freeport

Freeport, New York

Freeport is a village in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, USA, on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 42,860 at the 2010 census. A settlement since the 1640s, it was once an oystering community and later a resort popular with the New York City theater community...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

: Andrew Hardwick

First African American and first woman elected mayor of Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Springs, Utah

Saratoga Springs is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. The elevation is 4,505 feet. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is a relatively new development along the northern shores of Utah Lake. It was incorporated on December 31, 1997 and has...

, Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

, and first African-American woman elected mayor in Utah: Mia Love

Mia Love

Ludmya "Mia" B. Love is the first woman of African descent to serve as a city mayor in Utah. She began her term as mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah in January 2010....

2010s

2011

First African American elected mayor of Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

: Alvin Brown

Alvin Brown (politician)

Alvin Brown is an American politician who is currently Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. The first African American elected to the position, he succeeded John Peyton on July 1, 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Life and career:...

First African-American Mayor of Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...

: Joseph "Sonny" Vickers

1860s

1880s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

See also