Black Mayors: Charles Bussey

In November 1981, Charles Bussey became Little Rock’s first African American mayor. Hailing from Stamps, Arkansas, after World War II Bussey brought together a number of black veterans to form the Veterans’ Good Government Association. In 1947, Bussey successfully ran for the position of “bronze mayor,” an annual election held in Little Rock in which whites usually handpicked an unofficial black mayor to represent black community interests. Bussey provided an upset in the election by persuading blacks to vote for him instead of the white-sponsored candidate. Bussey won and whites canceled the traditional celebration banquet after his victory. From July to November 1981, Bussey served as acting mayor of Little Rock before being elected in his own right to complete a one-year term between November 1981 and December 1982.