Lelia Foley facts for kids

Lelia Foley-Davis (born November 7, 1942) is an American politician. She is famous for being the mayor of Taft, Oklahoma. Many people consider her the first African-American woman elected mayor in the United States.

Early Life and First Election

Lelia Foley-Davis was born in Taft, Oklahoma, a town in Muskogee County. She worked as a librarian at the county's courthouse. She also helped people in her town find affordable homes.

In January 1973, Lelia was a single mom with five children. She decided to run for a spot on the school board in Taft. Taft was a small town of about 600 people.

She did not win that election. But she was inspired by a book about A. J. Cooper, who became mayor of Prichard, Alabama. Lelia raised $200 and decided to run for mayor of Taft.

Becoming Mayor of Taft

On April 3, 1973, the citizens of Taft elected Lelia Foley as their mayor. Her election happened before Doris A. Davis became mayor of Compton, California, later that year.

For a long time, Lelia was thought to be the first African-American woman mayor in the U.S. However, a newspaper reported in 2019 that Ellen Craig-Jones, another Black woman, was elected mayor of Urbancrest, Ohio, in 1971.

As mayor, Lelia met with Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. President Ford honored her as one of "Ten Outstanding Young Women" in 1974. Oklahoma also named her Outstanding Woman of the Year in 1974. She helped Taft get money from the U.S. government for affordable housing.

Lelia lost her mayoral seat in the 1980s. But she continued to help her community. In 2000, Lelia Foley-Davis was elected mayor of Taft again.

State Politics and Future Dreams

In 2000, Lelia ran for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She was a candidate in the Democratic primary for district 13. She won the first vote with 35% of the support.

However, she lost the next round of voting to Allan Harder. He won with 56% of the votes.

In 2018, Lelia gave a speech at Northeastern State University. She said that her dream was to run for Governor of Oklahoma. During her speech, she also said she wanted to meet President Donald Trump. She wanted to tell him to "Leave the Dreamers alone."

Legacy and Recognition

In June 2022, a part of a street in Taft, Oklahoma, was renamed Lelia Foley-Davis Avenue. This was done to honor her important work. Lelia has also shared her wish to create the Lelia Foley-Davis Foundation.