Black Mayors

In 1967, Carl Stokes of Cleveland and Richard Hatcher of Gary, Indiana became the first African Americans elected as mayors of major U.S. cities. Over fifty years later, Black mayors have become common in cities large and small across America. By the late 2010s, 39 of the nation’s 100 largest cities had elected Black mayors at some point. In recent years, Black leaders have attained some of the most prominent mayoralties: in 2023, for the first time in history, Black mayors simultaneously led the four largest U.S. cities – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston (politico.com.) Chicago’s Lori Lightfoot was succeeded in 2023 by another Black mayor, Brandon Johnson, and Houston’s Sylvester Turner, term-limited in 2023, was the last of the four to depart (michiganchronicle.com.) Other major cities like Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco are also currently led by Black mayors. This represents a remarkable growth in Black political leadership since the civil rights era.

Another trend has been the rise of Black mayors in suburbs and smaller cities, especially those with majority-Black populations. Two of America’s newest incorporated cities – Stonecrest, GA and South Fulton, GA, both in suburban Atlanta – are over 85% Black in population and elected Black mayors upon their creation. (Stonecrest, for example, is about 93% Black with a median household income above $60,000.) At the same time, many Black mayors lead cities where Black residents are a minority, reflecting the broader acceptance of Black leadership in diverse communities. Below is an updated list (as of mid-2025) of current Black mayors in U.S. cities with populations over 40,000, categorized by whether the city’s population has a Black majority or not. Only mayors currently in office or recently elected (awaiting inauguration) are included.

Black Mayors of Majority-Black Cities (Population Over 40,000)

Black Mayors of Cities with 40,000-plus Population (Non-Black-Majority Cities)