Lawrence D. Crawford facts for kids

Lawrence D. Crawford is an American politician who served as the third African-American mayor of Saginaw, Michigan. He was a leader who worked to improve his city during a challenging time.

About Lawrence D. Crawford

Early Life and Education

Lawrence D. Crawford was born and grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. He went to the University of Michigan where he earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.). This means he became a dentist!

Leading Saginaw in Challenging Times

In the early 1980s, Saginaw faced some big challenges. The city's main employer, General Motors, was having financial problems. Many people were moving away, which made it harder for the city to collect taxes. A difficult event in the community also encouraged more people to vote. Because of this, Saginaw elected its first Black majorities to the City Council and the school board. At that time, about 35% of the city's population was Black.

In 1981, Lawrence Crawford was elected to the City Council. In November 1983, the City Council chose him to be the Mayor of Saginaw. In Saginaw, the mayor is chosen by the City Council, not directly by voters. He was re-elected as mayor in 1984.

Efforts as Mayor

During his time as mayor, there was some tension between different groups in the city. Mayor Crawford worked hard to help everyone feel safe and included. He did this by expanding community grants and improving roads and buildings, especially in areas where many white residents lived. It was tough to make everyone happy while the city was struggling financially.

Mayor Crawford also made a big effort to make sure that more people from different backgrounds worked for the city and that the city bought supplies from a wider variety of businesses. In May 1985, he created the Youth Task Force. This group looked for long-term ways to help young people and address community safety challenges.

In 1986, the city tried to help the economy by leasing a Downtown Shopping Mall. They planned to turn it into a conference and visitor's center. However, this project did not work out as planned and cost the city $3 million.

End of Term and Later Career

Mayor Crawford was succeeded by Delbert J. Schrems, who was also chosen by the City Council. Crawford continued to serve on the City Council until he resigned on August 8, 1988. His seat on the council was then filled by Gary L. Loster, who later became mayor himself from 1993 to 2001.

After his time as mayor, Lawrence Crawford helped start VITEC-USA. This company supplies plastic fuel tanks to car manufacturers and had sales of $150 million. It was the first manufacturing business in the Detroit Empowerment Zone, an area designed to help businesses grow. He is also the chairman and CEO of Diversity-Vuteq, LLC. This company works with a Japanese auto parts supplier called Vuteq and makes parts for Toyota plants in the United States.

He was also appointed by the president to serve on the National Advisory Board of the Small Business Administration. This board helps small businesses across the country. He was also appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court Task Force on Gender and Racial Equity in the Courts. This group worked to make sure that courts treat everyone fairly, no matter their gender or race.

Personal Life

Lawrence Crawford is married to Winnie Crawford. They have two sons named Alan and Larry Jr. He attends the Welcome Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac, Michigan. He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and Sigma Pi Phi.