The First and Only Black Mayor Of New York City Was an HBCU Grad

Howard Grad, David Norman Dinkins was a politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th Mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. He was the first and only African American to hold that office. He graduated cum laude from Howard University in 1950 with a bachelors degree in mathematics.

On November 7, 1989 Dinkins defeated Rudy Giuliani to become mayor of New York City.

After being mayor, Dinkins joined the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs as a professor of professional practice in 1994; and up until his death in November 2020, he was a full-time faculty member.

Dinkins was a member of the board of directors of the United States Tennis Association and a member of the Jazz Foundation of America. He served on the boards of the New York City Global Partners, the Children's Health Fund, the Association to Benefit Children, and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.

Dinkins married Joyce (Burrows) Dinkins, in August 1953. They had two children. Joyce died on October 11, 2020 at the age of 89, one month before David died.

David was a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.