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Bruce Bolling and Charles Weeks hope for an African American mayor of Boston
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Program:
[African American mayors]
Original Airdate: 11/4/1987

Length: 00:02:58
Item Type: newstape - edited story master


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Full Description

1:00:09
Visual: Shots of Harold Washington (Mayor of Chicago) celebrating his victory at the polls; of W. Wilson Goode (Mayor of Philadelphia); of an African American man official from the campaign of Carrie Perry in Hartford. Shot of Carrie Perry (Mayor of Hartford) entering a polling booth.

Marcus Jones reports that Carrie Perry is the first African American to be mayor of Hartford; that Hartford is the only major city in New England with an African American mayor.

V: Footage of Perry at a press conference. Footage of Bruce Bolling (President, Boston City Council) being interviewed by Jones. Bolling says that the city of Hartford deserves a lot of credit; that Hartford voters have looked beyond race in electing city officials.

Jones reports that Bolling is seen as having the best chance of becoming Boston's first African American mayor.

V: Footage of Bolling saying that he is not preoccupied with the thought of running for mayor. Bolling says that he is pursuing his agenda in the City Council.

Jones notes that Bolling was once seen as a successor to Mel King (candidate for mayor of Boston in 1983); that King and Bolling differed publicly on the issue of Roxbury's proposed secession from Boston.

V: Shot of King campaigning in Roxbury in 1983. Footage of Bolling, King, Charles Stith (Union United Methodist Church) and Andrew Jones (Greater Roxbury Incorporation Project) on the Phil Donahue show on October 30, 1986. Bolling says that African Americans and voters from other races supported King's candidacy in 1983 because they wanted a change in the city. Footage of Charles Weeks (Black Political Task Force) saying that there will be an African American mayor in Boston; that the African American mayor will need to be the mayor for all residents, not just African Americans.

Jones notes that the Black Political Task Force endorsed Bolling's last bid for re-election to the City Council.

V: Footage of Weeks saying that whites are becoming more accustomed to seeing African Americans in positions of authority; that an African American will eventually become mayor of Boston. Footage of Bolling saying that it is possible that he might become mayor someday. Bolling adds that an African American will become mayor of Boston in the future. Footage of African American audience members debating on the Donahue show.

Marcus Jones notes that the minority community in Boston is becoming impatient for an African American mayor.


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