National Conference of Black Mayors
| Abbreviation | The NCBM |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1974 |
| Type | Non-profit, no longer active |
Region served | United States of America |
Membership | 650+ mayors, 32,000 global political leaders of color |
| Website | no longer active |
The National Conference of Black Mayors (NCBM) was incorporated in 1974 and was originally organized as the Southern Conference of Black Mayors (SCBM) forty years ago. The thirteen mayors who founded the group were elected after the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and held its first meeting in Santee, South Carolina.
Three significant black mayors elected after the Civil and Voting Rights acts were: Carl Stokes of Cleveland, Ohio; Kenneth Gibson of Newark, New Jersey; and Richard G. Hatcher, of Gary, Indiana.[1] In 1973, Atlanta, Georgia, elected Maynard Jackson the first black mayor of a major southern U.S. city.[2] By 2005, nearly every large U.S. city had a black mayor within the previous 30 years.[2]
In April 1990, Unita Blackwell was elected the first woman president of the association. She was the first black woman mayor in Mississippi in 1976 when elected the mayor of Mayersville.[3] In November 2013, 138 black women were U.S. mayors.[4]
In later years, the NCBM suffered from financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy in early 2014. The African American Mayors Association was launched in May 2014, and now serves as the exclusive national voice of African American Mayors.
Notable members
- Marion Barry, president, Washington, D.C.
- Unita Blackwell, president, Mayersville, Mississippi
- A.J. (Algernon Johnson) Cooper, president, Prichard, Alabama
- Charles Evers, founding member SCBM, Fayette, Mississippi
- Johnny Ford, president, Tuskegee, Alabama
- Clarence Lightner, charter member, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Earl Lucas, founding member SCBM, Mound Bayou, Mississippi
- John Henry Smith, president, Prichard, Alabama
- James L. Usry, president, Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Wellington E. Webb, president, Denver, Colorado
- Kevin Johnson, president, Sacramento, California
See also
References
- ↑ Overbea, Luix (August 23, 1982). "Black mayors are enthusiastic, but face special problems". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- 1 2 "Newark in Context: Black Mayors". PBS.org. American Documentary. July 5, 2005. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- ↑ "Harvard University Institute of Politics: Unita Blackwell". Harvard.edu. Harvard IOP. 1991. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- ↑ O'Leary, Mary E. (November 8, 2013). "Up close and personal with New Haven's new leader". New Haven Register. Retrieved December 31, 2013.