Pioneering New York City Mayor David Dinkins dies at 93

David Dinkins, the first African American mayor of New York City, has died at age 93, according to multiple reports. 

The New York City Police Department said that officers were called to his home Monday night, according to The Associated Press. Initial indications were that he appeared to die of natural causes. 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed his death to The New York Times. 

Dinkins was the 106th mayor of New York. He was first elected in 1990, after defeating then-Mayor Edward Koch for the nomination, according to his biography. He then defeated Rudy Giuliani by 47,000 votes. 

While serving as mayor, Dinkins was a critic of apartheid in South Africa and fought to have the city divest from $500 million worth of pension fund stock invested in companies that did business in South Africa. He also secured the passage of a bill that allowed the city to rate banks based on their opposition to apartheid. 

However, he was criticized for his handling of racial tensions in Crown Heights, a boycott of Korean grocers in Brooklyn and civil unrest in Washington Heights. In addition, the economy remained sluggish throughout his term, which prevented the enactment of much of his agenda. 

Dinkins was ultimately defeated by Giuliani in a 1993 rematch. Giuliani, now President Trump’s personal attorney, offered his condolences on Twitter. 

“I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Mayor David Dinkins, and to the many New Yorkers who loved and supported him,” Giuliani tweeted. “He gave a great deal of his life in service to our great City. That service is respected and honored by all.”

I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Mayor David Dinkins, and to the many New Yorkers who loved and supported him.

He gave a great deal of his life in service to our great City.

That service is respected and honored by all.

— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) November 24, 2020

Dinkins was born in Trenton, N.J., on Oct. 10, 1927, and graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a degree in mathematics. He later received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School. 

Dinkins married Joyce Burrows in 1953, the Times notes, and they had two children — David Dinkins Jr. and Donna Dinkins Hoggard. Joyce died in October at the age of 89.