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Henry L. Marsh made history in 1977 by becoming the first Black mayor of Richmond, Va., but his achievements before then are also noteworthy. Marsh, who just celebrated his 81st birthday, is a prominent activist and champion of civil rights.

Marsh was born December 10, 1933 under modest circumstances. His mother died when he was just five, causing his father to split up the family. While facing Jim Crow segregation in the Deep South, Marsh struggled in school.

When he arrived to Richmond, however, he found greater opportunity. Marsh entered HBCU Virginia Union University and excelled as a student. While there, he encountered legendary civil rights attorney Oliver Hill who encouraged him to attend law school.

During his senior year, Marsh testified before the Virginia General Assembly against the so-called “massive resistance” campaign that was brewing in order to disrupt the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Marsh obtained his law degree from Howard University in 1959 under Hill’s guidance, and served two years in the U.S. Army.

After his tour of service, Marsh joined a small, Black-owned law firm in Richmond in 1961. That firm, now called Hill, Tucker & Marsh, won a series of civil rights victories, including a racial discrimination case against Philip Morris and a school desegregation case against the school board of Norfolk.

The firm also worked on the 1981 Gravely v. Robb case, which resulted in single member districts to the Virginia General Assembly. This helped loosen the mostly-white chokehold placed upon the state legislature. Marsh was elected to the Richmond City Council in 1966.

In 1977, he was appointed mayor by the City Council, after a city plan to annex more territory was legally challenged because of racial bias against Black districts. After a redistricting plan, Blacks won five open Council seats.

But Marsh wasn’t simply a political figurehead, as he worked with other Black Council members to bring sweeping changes to Richmond. During his tenure, more Blacks were appointed to board and commission positions. Marsh served in the mayor’s seat until 1981, rejoining the City Council for another decade.

Also in 1981, Marsh held the National Conference of the Black Agenda in the 80s, which drew over 1,500 Black state and local officials from around the nation. In 1991, he was elected to the Virginia Senate and served there until retiring this July.

Marsh is still working, though. After his retirement, Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed him to Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

 

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