User:A Girly Pop/Richard Arrington Jr. Political Career

City Council 1971-1979

Campaign and Election

In 1971, Arrington began campaigning for election to the Birmingham City Council with the pledge to make Birmingham "a city of which all her people can be proud." He placed third among 29 at-large candidates and faced five opponents in a runoff election for three remaining seats. Arrington won a majority of the Black vote and He won his seat easily, becoming, after Arthur Shores (who had been appointed to a vacant seat by Mayor George Siebels in 1968), the second African American to serve on the council. He won his first seat on the council due to the large Black voter turnout encouraged by the Jefferson County Progressive Democratic Council and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Arrington's second run for City Council was smoother due to the young politician winning a seat without a runoff.

Richard Arrington standing outside the headquarters for his mayoral campaign at 2130 1st Avenue North in Birmingham, Alabama.

Policies and Accomplishments

While on the council, Arrington worked to promote affirmative action and end police brutality in Birmingham. After two years of quiet service, He introduced an ordinance requiring city departments to formulate hiring plans that included affirmative action goals and to contract business to companies that hired minorities. With opposition in the business community, the latter action failed, but the departmental hiring ordinance made it out of council to be vetoed by Siebels. Revised proposals that established recruitment programs and prohibited contracting with openly discriminatory firms, were later passed. His next major controversy was to push for a formal investigation of the shooting of an African American suspect while he was under police custody. The hearing was inconclusive but opened the door to a more serious look at police procedure.

Mayor 1979-1999

Campaigns and Elections

Arrington won the 1979 mayoral election due to the Jefferson County Citizens Coalition which helped to mobilize 73% of black voters to vote in the runoff election. Although he had support from only 10% of white voters, 73% of African Americans in Birmingham voted in 1979 for the first African American mayor.