Unita Blackwell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Mayersville, Mississippi | |
| In office 1976–2001 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | U. Z. Brown March 18, 1933 Lula, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | May 13, 2019 (aged 86) Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jeremiah Blackwell Willie Wright |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Massachusetts Amherst (MRP) |
| Occupation | Activist |
Unita Zelma Blackwell (March 18, 1933 – May 13, 2019) was an American civil rights activist who was the first African-American woman to be elected mayor in the U.S. state of Mississippi.[1] Blackwell was a project director for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and helped organize voter drives for African Americans across Mississippi. She was also a leader of the US–China Peoples Friendship Association, a group dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between the United States and China. She also served as an advisor to six US presidents: Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.[2]
Barefootin', Blackwell's autobiography, published in 2006, charts her activism.[3]
- ^ Blackwell 2006, p. 10.
- ^ Ganucheau, Adam (May 13, 2019). "Unita Blackwell, civil rights pillar and first black woman mayor in Mississippi, dies at 86". Mississippi Today.
- ^ "Wellesley Centers for Women — Stepping Out and Moving Forward". wcwonline.org. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
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