David Dinkins, who broke barriers as New York City’s first African-American mayor, but was doomed to a single term by a soaring murder rate, stubborn unemployment and his mishandling of a riot in Brooklyn, has died. He was 93.
Dinkins died Monday, the New York City Police Department confirmed. The department said officers were called to the former mayor’s home in the evening. Initial indications were that he died of natural causes.
Dinkins, a calm and courtly figure with a penchant for tennis and formal wear, was a dramatic shift from both his predecessor, Ed Koch, and his successor, Rudolph Giuliani — two combative and often abrasive politicians in a city with a world-class reputation for impatience and rudeness.
Our deepest condolences for the passing of David N. Dinkins, New York City's first Black mayor. Thank you for your decades of service to our country and community. Gone from sight, but never from our hearts. Rest in Peace. #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/TpdHPtzMYY
— NYPD 101st Precinct (@NYPD101Pct) November 24, 2020
