Clarence Lightner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clarence Lightner
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| 30th Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina | |
| In office 1973 – December 1975 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas W. Bradshaw |
| Succeeded by | Jyles Coggins |
| Member of the Raleigh City Council | |
| In office 1967–1973 |
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| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 14th district |
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| In office August 9, 1977 – 1978 Serving with I. Beverly Lake Jr., Robert Webb Wynne
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| Preceded by | John W. Winters |
| Succeeded by | William Ayden Creech |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 15, 1921 Raleigh, North Carolina, United States |
| Died | July 8, 2002 (aged 80) Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Resting place | Mt. Hope Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse |
Marguerite Massey
(m. 1946) |
| Alma mater | North Carolina Central College Echols College of Mortuary Science |
| Profession | Mortician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
Clarence Everett Lightner (born August 15, 1921 – died July 8, 2002) was an American leader. He was a politician and a mortician (someone who prepares bodies for funerals). As a member of the Democratic Party, he served as the Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from 1973 to 1975. This was a very important time. He was the first mayor of Raleigh to be directly elected by the people since 1947. Even more importantly, he was the first African American elected mayor of a major city in the Southern part of the U.S. where most people were white.
Clarence Lightner was born in Raleigh in 1921. He went to North Carolina Central College. There, he played football as a quarterback. After college, he joined the United States Army and served during World War II. Later, he studied at the Echols College of Mortuary Science. In 1959, he took over his father's funeral home business.
His political journey began when he was elected to the Raleigh City Council in 1967. While on the council, he led a group that looked into public transportation. He also served as Mayor pro tempore (a temporary mayor) for one term. In 1973, he decided to run for mayor. He had support from both Black residents and white people living in the suburbs. These white residents were worried about cities growing too fast. Lightner won the election, which surprised many people and got national attention. As mayor, he helped make rules for building in flood areas. He also stopped some big road projects and started a mass transit system (public transportation like buses).
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Clarence Lightner's Early Life
Clarence Everett Lightner was born on August 15, 1921, in Raleigh, North Carolina. His parents were Mammie Blackmon and Calvin E. Lightner. He was the youngest of their four children. His father, Calvin Lightner, started the Lightner Funeral Home in 1911. He also tried to get a seat on the Raleigh City Council in 1919 but didn't win.
Even though Raleigh was segregated by race back then, Clarence, who was Black, grew up near a white neighborhood. He often played sports with white children when he was young. He went to public schools in Raleigh. In high school, he spent a lot of his free time helping his father at the funeral home. He also worked at Chavis Park, a recreation area for Black people in Raleigh.
College and Military Service
In 1938, Lightner started attending North Carolina Central College. While there, he played football as a quarterback. He also joined the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He finished college in 1941. In 1942, he joined the United States Army. He served for four years, including a tour of duty during World War II.
After his military service, he went to the Echols College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lightner had actually wanted to become a doctor. He didn't plan to take over his father's business. But in 1959, after his brother passed away, his father put him in charge of the funeral home. Lightner later became president of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association. He also led the National Life Membership Foundation of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He was a member of the National Business League. He also worked as an official for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Lightner met Marguerite Massey while they were both studying at North Carolina Central College. They got married in 1946. They had two sons and two daughters: Bruce, Lawrence, Debra, and Claire. Lightner was a member of Davie Street Presbyterian Church. He also served on the church's Men's Council.
Clarence Lightner's Political Journey
Community Involvement and City Council
Clarence Lightner was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was also part of the Democratic Party. He had moderate political views. He was part of a group called the "Oval Table Gang." This was an informal group of community leaders. They met at Ralph Campbell Sr.'s home. They talked about ways to desegregate Raleigh schools. They also planned protests and helped Black candidates run for public office.
In 1967, Lightner was elected to the Raleigh City Council. He was the second Black person to serve on this council. As he got more involved in politics, Lightner let a manager handle the responsibilities of his funeral home. While on the council, he was on the Law and Finance Committee. He also led a committee that studied public transportation. He supported a plan to change how city council members were elected. Instead of an at-large model (where everyone votes for all seats), he wanted a district system. This change was later approved by voters. In his third term (1971–1973), he served as Mayor pro tempore (a temporary mayor).
Becoming Mayor of Raleigh
In 1973, Lightner announced he was running for Mayor of Raleigh. The 1973 election was special. It was the first time the mayor would be directly elected by the people. Before this, the city council chose the mayor. This change happened because community groups felt that business interests had too much influence. Raleigh's population was growing fast, and many new building projects were being planned.
In the election, Lightner ran against G. Wesley Williams. Williams was popular with local business owners. Lightner described Williams as someone who worked for Raleigh's business interests. Even though Lightner was a Black candidate in a Southern city, race was not a big issue in the campaign. The mayor who was leaving office, Thomas W. Bradshaw, supported Lightner. So did Raleigh's two daily newspapers, the Raleigh Times and The News & Observer.
Lightner won the election on November 6 with 17,348 votes. This was 52.9 percent of all votes. He got support from Black residents, who were less than 16% of all registered voters. He also got support from white suburban residents who were worried about urban sprawl (cities spreading out too much). His win was a big surprise and received national media attention. He was the first Black mayor of a large city in the South where most people were white.
Mayor's Achievements and Challenges
As mayor, Lightner became a founding member of the Southern Conference of Black Mayors. He also took part in the National League of Cities. He made connections with federal government officials and other Black mayors. In 1974, he created the Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation. This group aimed to help people with low incomes find housing.
That same year, he supported creating 18 neighborhood "Citizen Advisory Councils." These councils were meant to help residents share their ideas on housing, transportation, and how the city government worked. Lightner hoped these councils would help Raleigh get block grants (money) from the federal government. During his time as mayor, the city council made rules stronger for building in floodplains. They also said no to some large road construction projects. And they started a mass transit system (public transportation). Raleigh also won the All-America City Award during his term. The organization giving the award mentioned the Citizen Advisory Councils as a reason. In November 1974, he supported trying to create a police review board. He said this was because many people didn't trust police fairness.
Lightner's time as mayor was mostly smooth. However, some of his family members faced legal issues. This affected his public image. In 1975, he ran for reelection. He asked voters to look at his performance as mayor and not his family's problems. But his reputation was hurt. He came in last in the primary election with only 5,644 votes. Jyles Coggins won the primary. Lightner encouraged Black voters to support Coggins. His term as mayor ended in December 1975.
Later Public Service
In 1977, State Senator John W. Winters resigned from his seat. Governor Jim Hunt then appointed Lightner to fill the empty spot. Lightner was sworn in on August 9 and served until 1978. During his time as senator, he helped introduce 10 bills. In 1979, he led the North Carolina Black Caucus.
Three years later, Lightner was the general chairman for the Raleigh chapter of the United Negro College Fund. In 1983, Walter Mondale asked him to join the steering committee for his 1984 presidential campaign in North Carolina. Lightner eventually became co-chairman of the state campaign. In 1986, Lightner also co-chaired Terry Sanford's campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Lightner pointed out that southeast Raleigh had limited economic growth. Because of this, the city created a team to help businesses grow there. He led the Southeast Raleigh Improvement Commission from 1993 to 2001. In this role, he studied economic development. He also started the Small Business Success Program. He created an incubation program to help new small businesses. He was the chairman of the Board of Trustees for Saint Augustine's College. He also served on the Board of Trustees for North Carolina State University for 10 years. Lightner was a delegate at many Democratic National Conventions from 1972 to 2000. He retired from the funeral business in 2000.
Clarence Lightner's Death and Burial
Clarence Lightner passed away around 11:30 AM on July 8, 2002. He died at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh after a long illness. His funeral was held at Davie Street Presbyterian Church. He was buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Raleigh. In April 2011, a big storm passed through Raleigh. This storm, part of the Tornado outbreak of April 14–16, 2011, damaged Lightner's tombstone.
Honors and Lasting Impact
In May 1974, Lightner received an honorary doctoral degree from North Carolina Central University. He also received honorary doctoral degrees from Shaw University and Saint Augustine's College. He was recognized for his football career. He was inducted into the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame. He also joined North Carolina Central University's Alex M. Rivera Athletics Hall of Fame.
After Lightner died, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker said he was "one of Raleigh's foremost political and civic trailblazers." He praised Lightner for his honesty, kind spirit, and strong will to make the world better for everyone. In 2004, the Clarence E. Lightner Youth Foundation was created. This foundation teaches local students how important it is to be involved in their community. Lightner's name was added to the Martin Luther King Water Monument. This monument honors local activists. It is located in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Gardens in Raleigh. Lightner's son, Bruce, designed the garden.
In 2003, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a joint resolution (a formal statement) honoring Lightner's life and achievements. That same year, a committee in Raleigh was formed. They had to decide on a public space to name after Lightner. They decided to name a new public safety center in downtown Raleigh after him. In 2010, over 250 people tried to get the center named after a public safety worker instead. They were led by a police detective. After being accused of having unfair reasons for the change, the detective apologized. The project for the building was later stopped in 2013. This was due to high costs and public opposition to tax increases. In 2009, Lightner was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame. The next year, a mural was dedicated at the University of North Carolina's Knapp-Sanders Building. This mural shows important African Americans from North Carolina, and it includes a picture of Lightner.
