Dinkins, David Norman (1927-2020), became the first African American mayor of New York City. In 1990, he replaced Edward I. Koch as mayor of the largest city in the United States. Dinkins, a Democrat, defeated Rudolph W. Giuliani in the 1989 general election. Dinkins got about 50 percent of the total vote. He won support from about 90 percent of the city’s Black voters and about 30 percent of the white voters.
Dinkins was a liberal who became known for his skill in resolving conflicts. He was credited with revitalizing Times Square, expanding affordable housing, and increasing the size of the police force to combat the city’s high crime rate. Nevertheless, racial conflicts and violence continued. In 1993, Dinkins ran for reelection, again against Giuliani, but was defeated. Dinkins left office in 1994.
Dinkins was born on July 10, 1927, in Trenton, New Jersey. After completing high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. As a member of the Montford Point Marines, he became one of the first African Americans to become a Marine. In 2012, the Montford Point Marines were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor awarded by the U.S. Congress.
Dinkins earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Howard University in Washington, D.C, in 1950. In 1956, he graduated from Brooklyn Law School. Dinkins was elected to the New York Legislature in 1965 and served one term. He was city clerk of New York City from 1975 to 1985. He then was elected president of Manhattan, one of the five boroughs of New York City.
After serving his term as mayor, Dinkins became a professor of public policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He also served as a board member for a number of charitable and professional associations. He wrote a memoir, A Mayor’s Life: Governing New York’s Gorgeous Mosaic (2013). Dinkins died on Nov. 23, 2020.
