Richard Arrington Jr. made an indelible mark on the city of Birmingham, Alabama, serving as its first African American mayor for two decades, from 1979 to 1999. His political journey began earlier, with two terms on the Birmingham City Council from 1971 to 1979, where he was the second African American to hold such a position. Throughout his extensive career in public service, Arrington dedicated himself to critical issues facing Birmingham, including
combating police brutality, revitalizing the city's economy, and championing equality for all minority groups. His tenure was characterized by significant reforms and a steadfast commitment to creating a more unified and equitable Birmingham, despite facing considerable racial harassment and federal investigations.
Early Political Engagements and Council Service
Arrington's entry into Birmingham politics began in 1971 when he campaigned for a seat on the City Council with a promise to make Birmingham "a city of which all her people can be proud." He secured his seat after placing third among 29 at-large candidates and winning a runoff election, largely due to a substantial African American voter turnout encouraged by local civil rights organizations. This made him the second African American to serve on the council, following Arthur Shores.
During his time on the City Council, Arrington was a vocal advocate for change. He pushed for affirmative action policies, introducing an ordinance that required city departments to develop hiring plans with affirmative action goals and to contract with businesses that employed minorities. While some of these initial efforts faced opposition and vetoes, revised proposals focusing on recruitment programs and prohibiting contracts with openly discriminatory firms were eventually passed. A significant early action was his insistence on a formal investigation into reports of police brutality, notably the shooting death of Willis "Bugs" Chambers Jr. in police custody. This unprecedented investigation, though inconclusive, paved the way for a more serious examination of police procedures in Birmingham.
Mayoral Leadership and City Transformation
Richard Arrington Jr.'s decision to run for mayor in 1979 was partly spurred by the killing of Bonita Carter, an 18-year-old African American girl, by a white police officer, and Mayor David Vann's refusal to fire the officer. Arrington won the mayoral election with strong support from African American voters, mobilizing 73% of them in the runoff, despite only garnering 10% of the white vote. He succeeded David Vann and served five terms, retiring in 1999.
As mayor, Arrington immediately set about redefining the city's government. He successfully fought for the right to select his own staff, bringing more professionalism and diversity to City Hall by appointing many minorities to department head and administrative positions. He also co-founded and served as the first president of the Alabama New South Coalition, a liberal advocacy organization. In 1992, he appointed Johnnie Johnson Jr. as the city's first African American chief of police, further diversifying leadership within Birmingham.
Economic Revitalization and Infrastructure Development
A cornerstone of Arrington's mayoral agenda was the revitalization of Birmingham's economy and infrastructure. Decades after the Great Depression, the industrial city still grappled with high unemployment. Arrington worked to diversify the city's economy beyond its traditional steel industry, attracting banking and finance companies. Under his leadership, the University of Alabama at Birmingham grew to become the city's largest employer, also providing crucial medical research and healthcare services to the community.
To expand the city's land and tax base, Arrington annexed unincorporated areas surrounding Birmingham. He championed policies aimed at economic growth, including establishing foundations to rejuvenate the city center and utilizing federal grants to transform Five Points South into a modern district. In 1989, he introduced the Birmingham Plan, a program that set annual goals for construction contractors on various projects in the area, further stimulating local development. These initiatives collectively aimed to rebuild and modernize Birmingham, creating a more robust and diverse economic landscape for all its residents.
Enduring Challenges and Political Resilience
Throughout his political career, Richard Arrington Jr. faced significant challenges, including persistent racial harassment and multiple investigations by federal agencies. The FBI, under its COINTELPRO program, launched an investigation into Arrington shortly after he joined the City Council in 1972, viewing him as an extremist due to his advocacy for police brutality investigations and affirmative action. These investigations continued intermittently for years, with the FBI and IRS scrutinizing his finances and political activities, even extending surveillance to his wife and her retail store. Bugging devices were found in City Hall, including on the mayor's telephone, though they were never definitively linked to the FBI.
Despite allegations of bribery and corruption, including testimony from an architect claiming kickbacks and a real estate developer alleging federal agents tried to coerce him into framing the mayor, Arrington consistently denied wrongdoing. Investigations into his businesses, such as a funeral home he co-owned, found no illegal activity. In a notable incident in 1992, Arrington was briefly imprisoned for refusing to surrender his personal logs to investigators, arguing it would allow them to fabricate a case. He eventually cooperated after the U.S. Attorney leading the investigation stepped down. Ultimately, these extensive federal investigations concluded without finding any evidence of the mayor taking bribes or engaging in illegal activities, underscoring his resilience in the face of sustained political pressure and scrutiny.
