‘GORGEOUS MOSAIC’

New York City’s First and Only Black Mayor David Dinkins Dies at 93

His one term, though hopeful at its start, was marked by high crime, unemployment, and racial tensions

David Dinkins, the first Black mayor of New York City, has died at the age of 93. Elected in 1989 and in office until 1993, his one term was marked by high crime, unemployment, and racial tensions, though it began on a hopeful note with an inauguration address calling the city a “gorgeous mosaic.” Dinkins bested incumbent Ed Koch in the Democratic primary and Rudy Giuliani in the general election, though Giuliani beat him in their second matchup. The former mayor died of natural causes, according to the New York Post. Born in 1927, Dinkins served in the Marine Corps before graduating from Howard University and later Brooklyn Law School. He remains New York City’s only Black mayor.

After news of Dinkins’ death broke, Giuliani wrote on Twitter, “I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Mayor David Dinkins, and to the many New Yorkers who loved and supported him.”