(From Top Left) Ed Gainey, Pittsburgh Mayor; Joelisa L. McDonald, Rankin Mayor; Dontae Comans, Wilkinsburg Mayor; Delia Lennon Winstead, Braddock Mayor; (Bottom Left) Betty Copeland, Bridgeville Mayor; John Burwell, Homestead Mayor; Val Pennington, Bellevue Mayor; Cletus Lee, North Braddock Mayor.
It’s a statement made unto itself. Allegheny County is home to just a 14 percent African American population among its 1.2 million residents, but there are eight Black mayors overseeing cities and boroughs in the county.
Most notable is Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, the first Black mayor of the Steel City, who is settling into his new role.
But when you look from Bellevue to the north, and Bridgeville to the south, you find the presence of African American mayors leading the way.
Take a look outside Allegheny County, and you’ll find even more Black mayors in Beaver County and Lawrence County.
Over the next four weeks, the New Pittsburgh Courier will spotlight some of these mayors, who seem poised and at the ready to make a profound impact on their communities. This week, we shine the spotlight on Homestead’s first Black mayor, John Burwell.
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