Serving an unprecedented five terms as the mayor of Los Angeles from 1973 to 1993, Thomas Bradley wielded two decades of influence on the growth and direction of the second largest city in the United States. A grandson of slaves, Bradley moved from Texas to Los Angeles with his family in 1924. In 1963, after a career in the LAPD, Bradley became the first African American elected to the Los Angeles City Council. Ten years later, Bradley won a historic mayoral election against incumbent Sam Yorty, demolishing any doubt that an African American could be elected mayor in a city with a predominantly white population. As the 38th mayor of Los Angeles, Bradley's signature achievements included transforming the downtown skyline, increasing international investment in the city, and bringing the 1984 Summer Olympics to Los Angeles.
Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, the second African American mayor of a U.S. city in 1973.
During his time as mayor Los Angeles hosted the 1984 Olympics.
In 1982 and 1986 he ran for governor of California.
His narrow loss in 1982 led to the "Bradley Effect" theory, defining the discrepancies between voter opinion polls and election outcomes between white and non-white candidates.
As we continue celebrating Black History Month with daily portraits of iconic Angelenos, check back for more features on other pioneering individuals and make sure to share this history with your friends and family. Click here for more portraits.
Support for the Departures is provided through these funders as well as local community partners and viewers like you.
-
Meena Nanji: Kenya As Paradise; London As Post-Punk; Los Angeles As Definitely Weird
In England, it was a given that you are miserable, that's just how it ...
-
I Am Los Angeles: The Art of Being Earnest
OBEY/Studio One artist Ernesto Yerena grew up in El Centro near the bo...
-
When The Eco Zeitgeist Changed
Without the Clean Water Act, the fetid sewers in South Los Angeles and...
-
Sunshine Vistas and the 21st Century City Reimagined
California, and Los Angeles specifically, has always been considered a...
flickr.com/kcetdepartures
departures@kcet.org
YouTube.com/Webstories
