The first African-American mayors were elected during Reconstruction in the Southern United States beginning about 1867. African Americans in the South were also elected to many local offices, such as sheriff and Justice of the Peace, and state offices such as legislatures as well as a smaller number of federal offices. After this period ended in 1876, it became increasingly difficult for African Americans to compete in elections due to racial discrimination, such as Jim Crow laws. After the end of the 19th century, it generally was not until the 1960s, following the civil rights movement and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, that they again began to be elected or appointed to mayoral positions. Achievements in African Americans' being elected mayor in majority-European American and other municipalities made their political participation one of daily life in many localities.

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In 1970, there were fewer than 50 African American mayors; by 1982, there were 205.^[1][2] Lelia Foley was the first African American woman elected mayor in the United States.^[3][4] In 1986, the first African-American women mayors were elected to major mid-size cities.^[5]

• African-American officeholders during and following the Reconstruction era
• List of African-American firsts
• List of African-American U.S. state firsts
• List of African-American United States Cabinet members
• Timeline of the civil rights movement