David Dinkins, New York City’s first and only Black mayor, has died at 93.
Dinkins died of natural causes Monday evening at his residence on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the New York City Police Department told CNN. The former mayor died a little more than a month after his wife, Joyce Dinkins, passed away at age 89.
“Chirlane and I are mourning a truly great man. David Dinkins simply set this city on a better path,” he tweeted with a photo of the pair. “He was my mentor, he was my friend, and his steadfast commitment to fight for that “gorgeous mosaic” inspires me every single day. We’ll keep up his fight,” current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted.
Chirlane and I are mourning a truly great man. David Dinkins simply set this city on a better path.
He was my mentor, he was my friend, and his steadfast commitment to fight for that “gorgeous mosaic” inspires me every single day.
We’ll keep up his fight. pic.twitter.com/gL0yY8Ae9s
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 24, 2020
Dinkins ran for mayor in 1989 and defeated Mayor Edward I. Koch. He went on to defeat Rudy Giuliani by 47,000 votes, the narrowest electoral margin in New York City history.
After leaving office, Dinkins became a professor of public affairs at Columbia University and remained politically active. He endorsed numerous city mayoral candidates, including Democrats Mark Green in 2001 and Fernando Ferrer in 2005. In 2008 he was a New York delegate for Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign.
