Chokwe Antar Lumumba

Chokwe Antar Lumumba (born March 29, 1983) is an American attorney, activist, politician and the current Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.[1] While running for mayor, Lumumba soundly[2] won the Democratic nomination, defeating incumbent mayor Tony Yarber and John Horhn, a state senator.[3] As Jackson is a heavily Democratic leaning city, Lumumba's primary victory was likely to make him the next mayor of Jackson.[4] Lumumba was endorsed by Our Revolution[5] and the Working Families Party,[6] and ran on a progressive platform promising to make Jackson "the most radical city on the planet." He is the son of former mayor Chokwe Lumumba, who served briefly before his death in 2014.[7] Lumumba has two children with his wife, Ebony.[8]

Chokwe Lumumba
Mayor of Jackson
Assumed office
July 3, 2017
Preceded byTony Yarber
Personal details
Born
Chokwe Antar Lumumba

(1983-03-29) March 29, 1983
Political partyDemocratic
RelativesChokwe Lumumba (father)
EducationTuskegee University (BA)
Texas Southern University (JD)

Lumumba was a featured speaker at the 2017 People's Summit.[9]

Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi

In the summer of 2018, Lumumba attended Michael Bloomberg's "Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative."[10][11] In a press release, released by the City of Jackson, the Initiative was created by Bloomberg to train leaders to "manage the complexities of running a city, and to have opportunities to learn from one another." Four months later, in November 2018, Bloomberg awarded the City of Jackson $1 million to create art highlighting the Bloomberg food insecurity crisis in Jackson.[12]

Jackson Zoo Crisis

In April 2018, when the Jackson Zoo announced plans to consider moving from its current West Jackson location, Lumumba joined Working Together Jackson, the Zoo Area Progressive Partnership, Rosemont Missionary Baptist Church and other community groups, in an effort to prevent the zoo from moving and called the proposed plan disingenuous and disrespectful.[13] During the dispute between Zoo leadership and the Lumumba administration, the Zoo contract expired[14] and the facility was closed to the public for lack of licensing.[15]

References
  1. Williams, Angela (July 3, 2017). "Chokwe Antar Lumumba sworn in as Jackson mayor". WAPT. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  2. "Some Mayors Defeated in Mississippi Municipal Primaries". US News and World Report. The Associated Press. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  3. Nichols, John (May 3, 2017). "Jackson, Mississippi, Just Nominated Radical Activist Chokwe Antar Lumumba to Be the Next Mayor". The Nation. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  4. Helm, Angela Bronner (May 3, 2017). "Young Pro-Black Progressive Likely To Become Next Mayor Of Jackson, Mississippi". News One. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  5. Doctorow, Cory (October 4, 2017). "Sanders-backed politicians are winning battle after battle in southern local elections". Boing Boing. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  6. Kelly, William III (April 27, 2017). "Working Families Party Endorses Lumumba for Mayor, Calling Him 'Inspiring'". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  7. Marans, Daniel (May 3, 2017). "Progressive Attorney Unseats Business-Friendly Mississippi Mayor". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  8. Vicory, Justin (March 2, 2018). "Is it a boy or girl? Jackson mayor's family grows by one Wednesday". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  9. Weigel, David. "Other lessons from the People's Summit". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  10. "Mayor Lumumba in New York City for Leadership Training". Jackson Free Press. July 24, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  11. "Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Announces Second Class of Mayors Go Back to School". July 25, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  12. "Jackson awarded $1 million from Michael Bloomberg for art project to spotlight food insecurity". November 29, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  13. "Mayor Calls Zoo's Move 'Disingenuous,' 'Disrespectful' to West Jackson". April 13, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  14. "Jackson Zoo contract up in about week's time". September 25, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  15. "Jackson Zoo to temporarily close for renovations". September 27, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
Political offices
Preceded by
Tony Yarber		 Mayor of Jackson
2017–present		 Incumbent
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