Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, has been inducted into the National Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
The organization ventured down to the Southern city on Nov. 2 to officially induct the elected official. At the ceremony, they presented a Gold Blazer to Mayor Lumumba on behalf of the National Civil Rights Library.
According to WLBT, the Mayor was awarded this distinction for his efforts toward social justice organizations. Lumumba was the son of the renowned radical Black activist Chowke Lumumba. As a revolutionary attorney, the elder Lumumba represented other Black activists such as Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur, and worked as a legal advocate for those facing legal action for acts of resistance. He later became mayor of Jackson in 2013 until his death a year later.
The junior Lumumba followed his father’s legacy by becoming mayor in 2017. He aimed to continue on his father’s political promises of participatory democracy and cooperative economics. During his tenure as the youngest mayor in Jackson’s history, he launched an infrastructure improvement initiative to improve the city’s water.
According to the official website, his mayoral efforts led to wider access to clean water throughout Jackson. Moreover, he established the first policy in the state to release the names of officers involved in shootings.
Despite still intending to seek reelection in 2025, Lumumba has faced criticism for his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal while in office. The scandal has led to two people, including former City Councilwoman Angelique Lee, to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.
Lee stepped down from her elected position hours before her federal indictment. She was accused of accepting bribes by two federal agents disguised as real estate developers. The bribes were offered to two elected officials.
Lumumba has maintained his own innocence through the political controversy.
“I have never conspired with anyone to commit a crime,” stated Lumumba, as reported by the Clarion Ledger. “That’s the basis of it and that’s all that I will share. There may come a time and place where I will expound on that at an appropriate moment, but at this point in time that’s all I have to represent.”
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