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David Dinkins, New York’s first and only black mayor, has died at 93.
Two senior NYPD officials confirmed to NBC New York that Dinkins’ health assistant found him unresponsive in his Lenox Hill apartment on Monday evening, apparently deceased of natural causes. The former mayor died just over a month after the death of his wife, Joyce Dinkins.
Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Dinkins briefly practiced law in New York City before beginning his political career as a district chief and being elected a member of the Harlem State Assembly in 1966. He then went on to was president of the council of elections and of the city. Clerk before winning election as president of the Manhattan Borough in 1985.
Dinkins, who also served in the Korean Marines, ran for mayor in 1989 and defeated Mayor Edward I. Koch and he then defeated Rudy Giuliani by the smallest electoral margin in New York history : 47,000 votes.
Joyce Dinkins, the former first lady of New York, has died at 89.
During his tenure as mayor from 1990 to 1993, Dinkins vowed to be “mayor of all the people of New York” and declared: “we are all infantrymen marching towards freedom”.
He once called the Big Apple the “magnificent mosaic”. The former mayor led the crackdown on violent crime, the revitalization of Times Square, created Restaurant Week and Fashion Week.
Former mayor and personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, Giuliani, offered his condolences to Dinkins’ family early on Tuesday in a tweet.
“He has given much of his life in the service of our great city. This service is respected and honored by all,” wrote Giuliani.
As the city’s first black mayor, Dinkins inspired others to enter politics, as did his stepfather Daniel Burrows, a businessman who became involved in Democratic politics and was among the first black men to sit in the assembly him. Among them is New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“The example Mayor David Dinkins set for all of us shines brighter than the most powerful lighthouse imaginable.” For decades, Mayor Dinkins has led with compassion and an unprecedented commitment to our communities. His deliberative and gracious behavior belied his ardent passion to challenge the inequalities that hurt our society, ”James wrote in a statement.
“Personally, Mayor Dinkins’ example inspired me from my first run for city council to my campaigns for public advocate and attorney general. I was honored to have held the Bible to him during my inaugurations because I and others stand on his shoulders. “
Dinkins is survived by his two children and two grandchildren.
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