Unita Blackwell

Unita Blackwell was born in Lula, Mississippi, on March 18, 1933. Her parents were both sharecroppers in Coahoma County. Because of limited educational opportunities for black Mississippians at that time, Ms. Blackwell had to cross the State line to attend school, in West Helena, Arkansas.

African American now have the right to vote, it has not always been that way. Many African Americans were hurt and some were killed, when they tried to vote.

Mississippi was traditionally the state in which the most discrimination against African Americans took place. There was more poverty in this state than in any other, and the poorest people were generally black. Although Mississippi had a large black population, no African Americans held a position of political leadership. They couldn't even vote.

Unita Blackwell was one of the Mississippians who was hurt trying to win the vote. She was beaten and put in jail for helping African Americans get to the polls. With Fannie Lou Hamer, Blackwell helped organize the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to help African Americans get elected to public office.

Times changed in 1976, Unita Blackwell was elected mayor in the very town where she had been beaten and jailed. When she became Mayor of Mayersville, she was the first black woman mayor in Mississippi. She went on to represent the United States around the world.

From 1976 to 1983, Blackwell was appointed National President of an organization for maintaining friendship with China. Through this organization she traveled often to Asia, Europe, and Central America. During the 1990's she served as president of the National Conference of Black Mayors, an organization of hundreds that had few members before Unita Blackwell was elected Mayor of Mayersville.