ABSTRACT
The date October 4, 1991 was a milestone in Memphis politics. The black community gained a dominant role in the local governing structure because voters elected a black mayor twenty-four years after the candidacy of the first black contender and six black City Council members. Black candidates also won at-large positions on the City Court and the Memphis School Board. Various developments during the eras of access, machine rule, and civil rights struggle resulted in black political ascendancy. For example, a substantial black electorate began to participate in local, national, and state elections during the eras of access. During the eras of machine rule and civil rights struggle, the black community found ways to mobilize its bloc vote in a racially polarized environment.
