James Perkins Jr. | |
---|---|
Mayor of Selma, Alabama | |
In office 2000–2008 | |
In office 2020–present | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1952 or 1953 |
Education | Bachelor's degree in Mathematics |
Alma mater | Alabama A&M University,Auburn University at Montgomery |
Occupation | Businessman,Pastor,Educator |
James Perkins Jr. (born 1952 or '53) was the first African American mayor and is the incumbent mayor of Selma,Alabama. He won a runoff in 2000 and served two terms,lost his second bid for reelection in 2008,and won a third non-consecutive term in 2020.
Perkins grew up in Selma,where his parents were an elementary school principal and a nurse,and graduated in 1971 in the first racially integrated class at Selma High School;he organized an unsuccessful effort to use the former black high school as the integrated school,rather than the former white school. [1] [2] He has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Alabama A&M University and took business courses at Auburn University at Montgomery. He is a businessman and pastor and has also taught mathematics and computer science at Selma University. [3] In December 2015 he was elected presiding pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Selma,succeeding F. D. Reese. [4]
After working as a computer consultant out of state,Perkins returned to Selma as manager of Reese's unsuccessful 1980 campaign against the long-term mayor of Selma,Joe Smitherman,a former segregationist. He returned again in 1991 and ran against Smitherman himself in 1992 and 1996 [1] before succeeding in a run-off in September 2000 in defeating Smitherman's bid for his tenth consecutive term. He was Selma's first African American mayor. [2] [5] [6] [7] [8] In 2008 he was elected president of the National Conference of Black Mayors. [9]
Perkins served two terms in office;in 2008,George Evans,who was Selma's first African American City Council president,defeated his bid for reelection. [5] He ran again in 2016 after Evans's second term but was defeated by State Representative Darrio Melton. [8] Perkins was elected in a run-off over Miah Jackson to secure a third non-consecutive term in 2020.
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