Frederick D. Alexander

Frederick Douglas Alexander (February 21, 1910 – April 13, 1980) was an American businessman, civil rights activist, and politician from Charlotte, North Carolina. Elected to the Charlotte City Council in 1965, he was the first African American to serve on it since the 1890s. He was repeatedly re-elected, serving until 1974. That year he was elected to the State Senate, serving into 1980. He was also active in local business, community and civil rights organizations, establishing a reputation as a moderate.

The state of North Carolina had passed measures at the turn of the 20th century to raise barriers to voter registration, and excluded African Americans for decades from the political system. Restrictions had begun to ease in cities such as Charlotte even before national civil rights legislation was passed in the mid-1960s.