List of first African-American mayors facts for kids

During a time called the Reconstruction period (around 1867), African Americans in the Southern United States started to be elected as mayors. They also won many other local jobs, like sheriff and Justice of the Peace, and even state and federal positions.

However, after 1876, it became very hard for African Americans to win elections. This was because of racial discrimination and unfair rules known as Jim Crow laws. For many years, it was rare for Black people to become mayors.

Things began to change in the 1960s, after the civil rights movement. New laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped make elections fairer. After these laws, more and more African Americans were elected or chosen as mayors. This showed that Black people were becoming a bigger part of daily political life in many towns and cities.

In 1970, there were fewer than 50 African American mayors. By 1982, this number grew to 205. Lelia Foley was the first African American woman to be elected mayor in the United States. By 1986, more African American women were elected mayors in mid-sized cities.

Early African American Mayors

First Mayors in the 1860s

• In 1867, Monroe Baker became the first African American to be appointed mayor of a U.S. town in St. Martinville, Louisiana.
• In 1868, Pierre Caliste Landry was the first African American elected mayor of a U.S. town in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.
• Stephen Atkins Swails became the first African American mayor of Kingstree, South Carolina in 1868.
• In 1869, William Bennett Scott Sr. was the first African American mayor of Maryville, Tennessee.

Mayors in the 1870s and 1880s

• In 1870, Robert H. Wood was the first African American elected mayor of a Mississippi city in Natchez, Mississippi.
• Edward "Ned" Sherman was the first African American elected mayor in New York State, in Cleveland, New York, in 1878.
• In 1887, Columbus H. Boger was the founding mayor of Eatonville, Florida.
• Edward P. Duplex became the first African American elected mayor in California and likely the Western U.S. in Wheatland, California, in 1888.

Mayors in the Early 1900s

• S.L. David was the founding mayor of Hobson City, Alabama in 1899.
• T. B. Armstrong was the founding mayor of Boley, Oklahoma in 1905.
• Thomas J. Kellar was the founding mayor of Robbins, Illinois in 1918.
• Lawnside, New Jersey became a self-governing community in 1926 and has elected African-American mayors ever since.

African American Mayors in the 1960s

Breaking Barriers in the 1960s

• In 1964, George D. Carroll became the first African American mayor of Richmond, California.
• Floyd J. McCree was the first African American mayor of Flint, Michigan in 1966.
• In 1967, Richard G. Hatcher was the first elected African American mayor of Gary, Indiana.
• Carl Stokes became the first African American mayor of a large U.S. city, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1967.
• Walter Washington was the first African American appointed mayor of Washington, D.C. in 1967. He was later elected in 1975.
• In 1968, Matthew G. Carter was the first African American elected mayor of Montclair, New Jersey.
• Luska Twyman became the first African American mayor of a Kentucky city in Glasgow, Kentucky in 1968.
• Howard Nathaniel Lee was the first African American elected mayor of a mostly white Southern city, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1968.
• In 1969, Charles Evers was the first African American elected mayor of Fayette, Mississippi.
• Douglas Dollarhide was the first African American mayor of Compton, California in 1969.

African American Mayors in the 1970s

New Milestones in the 1970s

• In 1970, Kenneth A. Gibson was the first African American elected mayor of Newark, New Jersey.
• James H. McGee was the first African American elected mayor of Dayton, Ohio in 1970.
• James R. Ford became the first African American mayor of Tallahassee, Florida and the first African American mayor of any state capital in 1972.
• In 1973, Coleman Young was the first African American elected mayor of Detroit, Michigan.
• Maynard Jackson became the first African American elected mayor of a major Southern city, Atlanta, Georgia, in 1973.
• Tom Bradley was the first African American elected mayor of a major Western city, Los Angeles, California, in 1973.
• Lelia Foley became the first African American female mayor in the U.S. in Taft, Oklahoma in 1973.
• In 1974, Penfield Tate was the first African American elected mayor of Boulder, Colorado.
• Walter Washington was the first African American elected mayor of Washington, D.C. in 1975.
• In 1976, Thomas L. Purce was the first African American elected mayor in Idaho, in Pocatello, Idaho.
• Ernest Nathan Morial was the first African American elected mayor of New Orleans in 1978.
• In 1979, Richard Arrington, Jr. was the first African American elected mayor of Birmingham, Alabama.

African American Mayors in the 1980s

Expanding Representation in the 1980s

• In 1981, Randy Primas was the first African American elected mayor of Camden, New Jersey.
• James Everett Chase was the first African American elected mayor of Spokane, Washington in 1981.
• Thirman L. Milner was the first African American mayor of Hartford, Connecticut in 1981.
• Helen L. Miller was the first female African American mayor in Florida, in Opa-locka, Florida, in 1982.
• In 1983, Harold Washington was the first African American elected Mayor of Chicago.
• Harvey Gantt was the first African American elected mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina in 1983.
• In 1984, Wilson Goode was the first African American elected Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Ronald Blackwood was the first African American elected mayor in New York State, in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1985.
• In 1986, Jessie M. Rattley was the first African American and first female mayor of Newport News, Virginia.
• Carrie Saxon Perry was the first African American woman elected mayor of a major city, Hartford, Connecticut, in 1987.
• James C. Hayes was the first African American elected mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska in 1987.
• Lottie Shackelford was the first African American female and first female mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas in 1987.
• In 1988, Kurt Schmoke was the first African American elected mayor of Baltimore, Maryland.
• David Dinkins was the first African American elected mayor of New York City in 1989.
• Norm Rice was the first African American elected mayor of Seattle, Washington in 1989.

African American Mayors in the 1990s

Continued Progress in the 1990s

• In 1990, Douglas Palmer was the first African American elected Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey.
• Coy Payne was the first African American elected mayor of Chandler, Arizona in 1990.
• In 1991, W. W. Herenton was the first African American elected mayor of Memphis, Tennessee.
• Wellington Webb was the first African American elected mayor of Denver, Colorado in 1991.
• Sharon Pratt Kelly was the first African American woman elected mayor of Washington, D.C. in 1991.
• Frances Huntley-Cooper was the first African American mayor elected in Wisconsin, in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, in 1991.
• In 1993, Freeman Bosley Jr. was the first African American elected mayor of St. Louis, Missouri.
• Sharon Sayles Belton was the first African American and first woman elected mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1993.
• In 1995, Ron Kirk was the first African American elected mayor of Dallas, Texas.
• Willie Brown was the first African American elected mayor of San Francisco, California, in 1996.
• In 1997, Lee P. Brown was the first African American elected mayor of Houston, Texas.
• Emmanuel Onunwor was the first African-born Black mayor in the U.S., elected in East Cleveland, Ohio, in 1997.
• In 1998, E. Denise Simmons was the first African American female elected mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

African American Mayors in the 2000s

New Century, New Leaders

• In 2000, Michael B. Coleman was the first African American elected mayor of Columbus, Ohio.
• James Perkins, Jr. was the first African American elected mayor of Selma, Alabama in 2000.
• In 2001, Shirley Franklin was the first African American female mayor of a major Southern city and first woman elected mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.
• Brenda L. Lawrence was the first African American and first woman elected mayor of Southfield, Michigan in 2001.
• Glenn Cunningham was the first African American Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey in 2001.
• In 2002, Rhine McLin was the first African American woman elected mayor of Dayton, Ohio.
• Jack Ford was the first African American elected mayor of Toledo, Ohio in 2002.
• In 2003, Ron Oden was the first African American elected mayor of Palm Springs, California.
• Kip Holden was the first African American elected mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2004.
• In 2005, Byron Brown was the first African American elected mayor of Buffalo, New York.
• Sam Jones was the first African American elected mayor of Mobile, Alabama in 2005.
• In 2006, Cedric Glover was the first African American elected mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana.
• Sheila Dixon was the first African American woman and first woman elected mayor of Baltimore, Maryland in 2007.
• In 2008, Kevin Johnson was the first African American elected mayor of Sacramento, California.
• Linda D. Thompson was the first African American and first woman elected mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 2009.

African American Mayors in the 2010s

A Decade of Firsts

• In 2010, Acquanetta Warren was the first African American woman elected mayor of Fontana, California.
• Stephen K. Benjamin was the first African American elected mayor of Columbia, South Carolina in 2010.
• In 2011, Alvin Brown was the first African American elected mayor of Jacksonville, Florida.
• Edna Jackson was the first African American woman elected mayor of Savannah, Georgia in 2011.
• In 2012, Svante Myrick was the first African American mayor of Ithaca, New York.
• Karen Freeman-Wilson was the first African American woman and first woman elected mayor of Gary, Indiana in 2012.
• In 2013, Harry LaRosiliere was the first African American mayor of Plano, Texas.
• Toni Harp was the first African American female mayor of New Haven, Connecticut in 2014.
• Ivy Taylor was the first African American female mayor of San Antonio, Texas in 2014.
• In 2015, Paula Hicks-Hudson was the first African American woman elected mayor of Toledo, Ohio.
• Karen Weaver was the first African American woman and first woman elected mayor of Flint, Michigan in 2015.
• In 2016, Michael Tubbs was the first African American elected mayor of Stockton, California.
• Vi Lyles was the first African American woman elected mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina in 2017.
• In 2018, Frank Scott Jr. was the first African American mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas.
• Lori Lightfoot was the first African American woman and first openly gay person elected Mayor of Chicago in 2019.
• Steven Reed was the first African American elected Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama in 2019.

African American Mayors in the 2020s

Recent Achievements

• In 2020, Ella Jones was the first African American elected mayor of Ferguson, Missouri.
• Corey Woods was the first African American elected mayor of Tempe, Arizona in 2020.
• In 2021, Kim Janey was the first African American and first woman to serve as acting mayor of Boston.
• Edward C. Gainey was the first African American elected mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2021.
• Tishaura Jones was the first African American woman elected mayor of St. Louis in 2021.
• In 2022, Cavalier Johnson was the first African American elected mayor of Milwaukee.
• Rita Frealing was the first woman and first African American mayor of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 2022.
• Pamela Goynes-Brown was the first African American elected mayor of North Las Vegas, Nevada in 2022.
• Karen Bass was the first African American woman elected as mayor of Los Angeles in 2022.
• In 2023, Yemi Mobolade was the first African American elected mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

See also

• African-American officeholders during and following the Reconstruction era
• List of African-American firsts
• List of African-American U.S. state firsts
• List of African-American United States Cabinet members
• Timeline of the civil rights movement