Little Known Black History Fact: Richard Arrington

Richard Arrington, Jr. made history on this day in 1979 after winning a run-off election to become Birmingham, Ala.’s first African-American mayor. For twenty years, Arrington led the city to a new level of prominence and provided grand opportunities for people of color during his tenure.

Born October 19, 1934 in the town of Livingston, Arrington was the child of sharecropper parents. He entered Alabama’s Miles College, earning his undergraduate degree in biology. While at Miles, Arrington became a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and excelled in the classroom.

He then took a position as a graduate assistant at the University of Detroit, earning his master’s degree there while working in an integrated environment. Arrington returned to Miles, working as an assistant professor of science. In 1963, Arrington entered the University of Oklahoma doctoral program in zoology and earned his Ph. D in 1966.

Arrington served as the dean of the Natural Sciences Department at Miles after his graduation. His political career began in 1971 after he began campaigning for election to the Birmingham City Council. In a run-off election, he won a seat and was just the second African-American to sit on the Council.

While there, Arrington wanted to increase city hiring of people of color and award lucrative contracts to minority-owned businesses in an attempt to balance the playing field. The local business community balked at his plans, which were eventually vetoed, but it put the city on notice. Arrington got involved in a case where a Black suspect was shot while in police custody, but ultimately failed in any legal recourse.

However, the incident forced city officials to look at changing police procedures. In 1979, Harrington’s bid for mayor was also a run-off election.

After galvanizing the Black community over the cop shooting case, it was seen as Arrington’s moment to challenge incumbent David Vann. After the shooting of 20-year-old Bonita Carter, who was unarmed, Arrington challenged Vann and campaigned heavily in Black neighborhoods. He also got the support of white business owners during this stretch, promising to bring development and change to the city.

Arrington’s campaign was ultimately successful, leading the charge for the “New Birmingham” and moving past some of the city’s ugly racist past. Arrington continued to work hard for the people, creating jobs and boosting a staggering economy. Even when controversy hit Arrington in a series of corruption and bribery accusations in 1992, both Black and white citizens rallied around him.

Arrington retired from the mayor’s post in 1999, working as a visiting professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham until 2003. Today, Arrington maintains a lower profile but is still a resonate force in the city.

Like BlackAmericaWeb.com on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

The Ten Most Interesting Little Known Black History Facts

5 photos