b'The Peoples Mayor: Mayor Julia Nelson By Debra YoungLong gone are the days when a womans role is seensuccessful re-election to the progress they are making asbeingbarefoot,pregnant,andinthekitchen.in their city under her leadership.BlackwomenhavebeenbreakingglassceilingsNo stranger to politics, Nelson has worked closely on foryearsandtodaytheycanbefoundinpositionsseveralsuccessfulpoliticalcampaigns.Accordingto ofleadershipfromtheWhiteNelson,thesewerecampaignsof House to the State House to Cityindividualswhomshebelieved Hall.TheCenterforAmericanwould be great leaders.However, WomenandPoliticsatRutgersshe shared, Ive never been more Universityannuallytrackstheinspiredatthepossibilityofa progressofBlackwomenandpoliticalofficeuntilworking otherwomenofcolorinelectedwithPresidentBarackObamas office. According to their findings,campaignandthenwitnessing thoughremaininggrosslyhimbeingelectedasthefirst underrepresentedthroughoutAfrican American President of the thecountry,womenofcolorUnitedStates.Nelsonsaysthat aregaininginunprecedentedObamascampaignmessageof numbersfrom U.S. Congress tohope, urgency, and compassion for City Hall. The increasing numberpeopleingeneral,resonatedwith ofBlackfemaleMayorsleadingherheartandspirit.Itinspired Americancitiesaffirmsthishertorunforpoliticaloffice, finding. which landed her joining the ranks In 1973 Lelia Foley was the firstof firsts.Black woman elected mayor in theYou cant let the negative circle ofCHALLENGES OF UnitedStatesin Taft,Oklahoma.perhaps 25 individuals allow you to loseTODAYSince then, political observers havefocus on the 3,500 plus who desire to seeTodaysmayorsarefacedwitha marveledattherapidgrowthofprogress and love their community asmyriadofchallengescrime,gun Blackfemalemayorsaroundthemuch as you do.violence,poverty,renewedracism, country.Likeothercities,SouthMayor Julia Nelsonand lack of adequate resources, just Carolinaisalsoexperiencingthistonameafew.However,Nelson phenomenon. Just ask Mayor Juliaidentifiedhergreatestchallenge Nelson,whoholdsthedistinctionofbeingthefirstas living in a time when doing the right thing isnt Black female elected Mayor in the City of Manning,popular and cant be completely explained to the public SC.Elected in 2011 to fill an unexpired term, Nelsonasquicklyastheywouldlikeanswers. Thesearethe wasre-electedtoasecondtermin2020.Withareally tough times, she emphasized.There are times, BachelorofArtsdegreefromSouthCarolinaStateshe pointed out, when privacy issues and due process University, a Masters degree in Public Administrationsurroundingcontractualandemployeematterswont from TroyUniversity,and35yearsofgovernmentalallowforimmediateresponsesasthepublicoften andhumanservicesexperience,Nelsonwaswell- demands.equippedtoserveasmayor.Sheattributesher 14IMARA'