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Revision as of 11:20, 18 March 2008 by Allstarecho (talk | contribs) (ok, I did some)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Clarence Lightner | |
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| 30th Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 8 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas W. Bradshaw |
| Succeeded by | Jyles J. Coggins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1921-08-15) August 15, 1921 (age 103) Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kimberly Guilfoyle (divorced) |
| Profession | Restaurateur |
Clarence Lightner (August 15, 1921 - July 9, 2002) was the first African-American elected mayor of a metropolitan Southern city with a white majority. Lightner, a Democrat, was also the first and to date only black mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina serving in office from 1973 to 1975. His mayoral election gained national attention since only 16% of registered voters in Raleigh were black, and at the time it was unusual for Southern white voters to pick a black candidate for office. Even more surprising to some was the fact his race was rarely mentioned in the campaign. In a 1976 book on Southern politics, authors Jack Bass and Walter DeVries wrote "Perhaps no political campaign better reflected changing attitudes on race than the 1973 mayor's race in Raleigh, in which black City Councilman Clarence Lightner won support from a coalition of white suburbanites concerned about urban and suburban sprawl."
Lightner was born in Raleigh to Mamie Blackmond and Calvin E. Lightner, a local politician who ran for office alongside Dr. M.T. Pope as a nonpartisan. He graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham and Echols College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While attending school at North Carolina Central University, Lightner was a star athlete and inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame. Lightner served three years in the United States Army during World War II and after returning home, managed the Lightner Funeral Home for 45 years. In 1946, he married Marguerite Massey Lightner, with whom he had three children, Clara, Debra and Bruce. From 1967 until 1973, Lightner served on the Raleigh City Council until being elected as mayor, defeating G. Wesley Williams. After serving as mayor, Lightner was appointed by Governor Jim Hunt in 1977 to replace State Senator John Winters, who had resigned. Lighter served the remainder of Winters' term until 1978. After leaving public office, Lightner chaired the Southeast Raleigh Improvement Commission from 1993 to 2001.
After Lightner passed away, his son Bruce founded the Clarence E. Lightner Youth Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to teach middle school students the importance of civic awareness and community service. When asked about his father's legacy, Bruce said, "Helping young people to aspire to be as successful as they can in school and life. That would be his legacy." In 2003, it was announced the new 17-story Raleigh Law Enforcement Center would be named in honor of Lightner. The 305,000 square-foot building will be located next to the City Hall and contain offices for the Raleigh Police Department, Raleigh Fire Department and Wake County Emergency Operations Center and 911 dispatch.
| Preceded byThomas W. Bradshaw | Mayor of Raleigh 1973 – 1975 |
Succeeded byJyles J. Coggins |
See also
References
- Matier, Phillip; Ross, Andrew (March 15, 2006), "FBI jumpstarts Perata probe; police academy class scrubbed -- no funds", The San Francisco Chronicle, pp. B - 1
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Vega, Cecilia M. (January 3, 2008). "S.F. Mayor Newsom's 2nd inaugural a low-key affair". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - "Clarence Lightner -- Mayor, 80". New York Times. 2002-07-12. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - "Democratic Delegation: North Carolina". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - "Lightner's Election Was News". News & Observer. 2002-07-14. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - "Historical Context for the Pope Family". The Pope House Museum Foundation. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- "Clarence Lightner Honored". Carolina News 14. 2007-11-15. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- "The Life of One Man Who Made a Difference". The Clarence E. Lightner Leadership Endowment Fund. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- "Raleigh's First Black Mayor Dies". wral.com. 2002-07-09. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- "Clarence Lightner Honored". Carolina News 14. 2007-11-15. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- "Raleigh Law Enforcement Center to Top $225 Million". wral.com. 2008-02-18. Retrieved 2008-03-18.