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Harlem, New York (1658- )

Harlem began in 1658 as a Dutch village founded by settlers who named it after the city of Haarlem, in the Netherlands. In 1873 the village was annexed to Manhattan. The annexed section was a 45-block area stretching from the north end of Central Park … Read MoreHarlem, New York (1658- )

Colored Farmers’ National Alliance and Cooperative Union (1886-1891)

The Colored Farmers’ National Alliance and Cooperative Union was established by a small group of Black farmers on December 11, 1886, in Houston County, Texas. The Colored Alliance was established because the Southern Farmers’ Alliance barred Blacks from joining their organization due to their race. … Read MoreColored Farmers’ National Alliance and Cooperative Union (1886-1891)

Penfield Wallace “Pen” Tate II (1931-1993)

Penfield Tate II was a politician, LGBTQ supporter, and Boulder, Colorado’s first African American mayor. Tate was born on June 11, 1931, to Penfield Tate Sr and Vera Jane Houston Tate in New Philadelphia, Ohio. He was the second eldest of ten children. Growing up, … Read MorePenfield Wallace “Pen” Tate II (1931-1993)

Oscar DuConge (1909-1978)

Oscar DuConge, a resilient politician, overcame the odds to become Waco, Texas’s first African American mayor. Born on April 19, 1909, to unnamed parents in Pass Christian, Mississippi, DuConge was the fourth of nine children. His early years were marked by hard work, as he … Read MoreOscar DuConge (1909-1978)

William Stanford Hart Sr. (1925-1999)

Williams Stanford Hart Sr was a politician who served as mayor of East Orange, New Jersey between 1970 and 1978. This made him the first African American mayor of a major New Jersey city. Hart was born on November 19, 1925, to Margaret and John … Read MoreWilliam Stanford Hart Sr. (1925-1999)

Johnny DuPree (1953- )

The first African American mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Johnny DuPree was also the longest serving mayor of that city. DuPree was born in Fort Benning, Geogia to  poor, illiterate parents who separated when he was young. At the age of eight his mother moved to … Read MoreJohnny DuPree (1953- )

Byron Brown (1958- )

The first African American mayor of Buffalo, New York, Byron Brown, was born on September 24, 1958 in Hollis, Queens, New York.  He attended PS 134 in Hollis and, later, junior high at PS 109. He attended August Martin High school and, after graduation, enrolled … Read MoreByron Brown (1958- )

George Carroll (1922-2016)

George Carroll made history in 1964, as the first African American to be elected mayor of Richmond, California which made him the first black mayor of any large American city. Carroll was born on January 6, 1922, to unnamed parents in Brooklyn, New York. Growing … Read MoreGeorge Carroll (1922-2016)

M.W. “Teedy” Thornhill Jr. (1921-2016)

M.W. “Teddy” Thornhill Jr., a civil rights activist and first African American mayor of Lynchburg, Virginia, was born Murrell Warren Thornhill, Jr. on March 31, 1921, to Murrell W. Thornhill, Sr. and Alease Gilbert Thornhill. He had a younger brother, Kyle Thornhill, and a sister, … Read MoreM.W. “Teedy” Thornhill Jr. (1921-2016)