African American Councilmembers, 1868-Present

ican American Council Members

City of Charleston, South Carolina

 

The 1783 charter of the City of Charleston provided for a form of government that generally existed in cities during the colonial era. From 1783 to 1808, the city was divided into thirteen wards, each represented by a warden elected annually; the intendant was elected from the wardens. The city elected wardens and intendants until 1836. The city elected a mayor and aldermen from 1836 through 1975. The city has elected a mayor and council members from 1975 to the present.

 

1868: Military appointments made by Major Edward Camby

 

Reverend Ennals J. Adams

Reverend Richard H. Cain

Richard Dereef

Robert Howard

William McKinlay

Edward P. Wall

William Weston

 

November 1868 Election

 

William McKinlay

Robert Howard, Sr.

Richard Holloway

William R. Hampton

Launcelot F. Wall

Philip Thorne

Malcom Brown

Edward P. Wall

Thomas Small

 

1871 Election. No African American aldermen from 1871-73.[i] 

 

1873 Election

 

W. J. McKinlay

S. B. Garrett 

A. B. Mitchell

W. G. Fields

John A. Godfrey 

B. Moncrief

George Shrewsbury

John Gordon

R. N. Gregorie 

 

1877 Election. No African American city council representatives for 90 years.

 


 

 

St. Julian Devine, 1967-1975. Mayor Pro Tem in 1975. First black alderman in 90 years.[ii] 

 

Frank McKenzie, 1971-75

 

David S. Hill, 1971-1975

 

Jerome Kinloch, 1975-1998

 

Daniel L. Richardson, 1975-1992

 

Hilda Jefferson, 1975-1998 (female)

 

Arthur Christopher, 1975-1992

 

Brenda Scott, 1975-1998 (female)

 

Robert Ford, 1975-1992

 

Ligure Ellington, 1992-1996

 

Maurice Washington, 1992-2000

 

Louis Waring, 1994-2012

 

James Lewis, Jr., 1996-2019

 

Kwado Campbell, 1998-2004

 

Robert Mitchell, 1998-2002, 2006-present

 

Wendell J. Gilliard, 1998-2008

 

Jimmy S. Gallant, 2000-2012

 

William Dudley Gregorie, 2009-present

 

Perry K. Waring, 2012-present

 

Rodney Williams, 2014-2017


[i] Bernard E. Powers, Jr., Black Charlestonians: A Social History (Fayetteville: The University of Arkansas Press, 1994), 228. 

[ii] Robert Behre, “Charleston’s City Council Draws Outside the Lines of Race,” Post and Courier, 28 February 1993.