Marshall Pitts Jr. facts for kids

Marshall B. Pitts Jr. is an American lawyer and politician. He made history as the first African-American mayor of Fayetteville, North Carolina. He served two terms as mayor, from 2001 to 2005.

About Marshall Pitts Jr.

Marshall B. Pitts Jr. is known for his work as a lawyer and for his time in public service. He became a very important leader in Fayetteville.

Early Life and Education

Marshall Pitts Jr. grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He went to Westover High School. While there, he was part of the school's track team. After high school, he studied law. He graduated from the North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1990.

His Path to Politics

Marshall Pitts Jr. first tried to join the Fayetteville City Council in 1997. He lost that election by a very small number of votes. But he didn't give up! In 1999, he ran again and won a seat on the city council. This was a big moment because he was the first African-American person elected to the city council in twenty years.

Becoming Mayor of Fayetteville

In 2001, Marshall Pitts Jr. decided to run for Mayor of Fayetteville. He ran against the mayor at the time, Milo McBryde. Mayor McBryde came from a well-known political family in Fayetteville. He had been on the city council for 22 years. McBryde became mayor in 2000 after the previous mayor passed away.

Marshall Pitts Jr.'s campaign had a clear message: "Change Is Coming." People were ready for something new.

Winning the Mayoral Election

The election was held on November 6, 2001. Marshall Pitts Jr. won! He received about 56% of the votes. Mayor McBryde received 44% of the votes.

On December 3, 2001, Marshall Pitts Jr. officially became the Mayor of Fayetteville. This was a historic day for the city. He was the very first African-American mayor of Fayetteville.

Re-election and City Growth

Mayor Pitts was re-elected for a second term in 2003. He won a special election called a "runoff election" on November 4, 2003. His opponent was a real estate agent named Robert Anderson. Mayor Pitts won easily this time. His slogan for this election was "Change Is Now."

During his second term, some areas next to Fayetteville were added to the city. This process is called "annexation." About 43,000 new people became residents of Fayetteville because of this.

End of His Mayoral Term

In 2005, Mayor Pitts ran for re-election again. But this time, he was defeated by Tony Chavonne. The election was on November 8, 2005. Tony Chavonne received about 55% of the votes. The annexation of the new areas seemed to be a big reason for the change. Tony Chavonne won by a lot in those newly added parts of the city.