Dinkins, David Norman, 1927–2020, African-American political leader, b. Trenton, N.J. After graduating (1956) from Brooklyn Law School, he went into private law practice. Active in Democratic politics in New York City, he held the office of Manhattan borough president from 1986 to 1989. In 1989 he became the first African American to be elected mayor of New York City; he served for one term (1990–93). In a time of economic difficulties and racial tensions, he oversaw the revitalization of Times Square, improvements to neglected public housing, and an expansion of the police force to control crime.
See his A Mayor's Life (with P. Knobler, 2013); C. McNickle, The Power of the Mayor: David Dinkins, 1990–1993 (2012).
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