09/21/10 26
Mt. Vernon, NY
Mt. Vernon’s first black mayor helped the city become a ‘city of hope’

During the 1960s, Mount Vernon was a divided city on the brink of a "northern style" segregation. Many blacks from down south came to the north and settled in the city of Mount Vernon for better job opportunities and educational advancements. At the same time, many whites from the Bronx and Manhattan looked to Mount Vernon as a new "bedroom community" due to rising crime in New York City (a "white flight" factor entailed as well). As a result, Mount Vernon became divided by the New Haven Line railroad tracks of the Metro North railroad into two parts north and south. The population of the "South Side" of the tracks became predominantly African-American, while the "North Side" of the tracks was largely white.

At the height of this "segregation" in the 1970s August Petrillo was Mayor; when he died, Thomas E. Sharpe was elected Mayor. Upon Sharpe's death in 1984, Carmella Iaboni took office as "acting-Mayor" until Ronald Blackwood was elected.

Mayor Blackwood, a 58-year-old Democrat at the time, was born and raised in Jamaica and moved to Mount Vernon in 1955. He would later make history by becoming the first black mayor of the city (as well as of any city in New York State).

On his inauguration day, Sunday, February 10, 1985, there was a huge celebration at Mount Vernon High School. There was music, champagne and an appearance by New York City’s mayor, Edward I. Koch.  Over 1000 people attended the historical celebration, including state, county and local officials.

During his speech, Blackwood promised to rehabilitate housing, fight crime, attract new businesses, and to help Mount Vernon’s seniors and the poor.

“My aspirations for Mount Vernon are that it will become a city of hope where people can realize their dreams,” Blackwood said. “A city where people can live together in harmony; where the fear of crime is diminished; where there is decent and affordable housing with improved shopping areas.”

Blackwood also mentioned that he was encouraged that the city’s predominantly black South side and predominantly white North side had not been divided during the election.

“They (opponents) said all the voters would see was race – black and white, North versus South,” Blackwood said. “They were wrong. You made them wrong, the voters of this city, fair honest people.”

During the ceremony many praised him for his hard work and his distinction as the state’s first elected black mayor of a city.

“He is the first elected black mayor in the state of New York,” Koch said. “That’s in the history books. What’s important now is the future. He was elected not because of his race. He was elected because he was the best. In this country people of the most humble origins – the sons of immigrants and the grandchildren of slaves – can rise to the very top of this country.”

David Ford, now retired, and chairman of Mount Vernon’s Democratic Party at the time, said Blackwood’s election was the result of a united effort by people of different races, religions and ethnic origins. “This campaign has truly been a rainbow of people,” Ford said.  “It was not a black campaign or a white campaign. We had Chinese people, Portuguese people, Jewish people . . . all part of the rainbow that makes up the Mount Vernon Democratic Party.”

Blackwood, who was sworn in by state Supreme Court Justice Harold Wood, defeated former Assemblyman and state Athletic Commissioner John Branca by a margin of 1,178 votes in a special mayoral election on January 25, 1985.

The election was held to fill the final three years of the term of Mayor Thomas Sharpe, who died in October of 1984.

Blackwood, a Mount Vernon City Councilman for 15 years, served as acting mayor for four months in 1976 after the death of Republican mayor, August Petrillo.

His political career began in 1967, when he was elected to the now defunct Westchester County Board of Supervisors.

Blackwood continues to live an active life in Florida, like he did in Mount Vernon. His activities include membership in the following organizations:

• Vice Commodore, Smyrna Yacht Club Board of governors

• Rotary Club – New Smyrna Beach

• Marine Discovery Center – serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors

• Tradewinds Condominium – Vice President of the Board of Directors

• Mentor at the New Smyrna Beach Middle School

• Habitat for Humanity – Southeast Volusia County

• Member of the Council on Aging – Volusia County

     His daughter, Helen Blackwood, still lives in Mount Vernon. In May of 2009, he attended her swearing in ceremony as a Mount Vernon City Court Judge.
     His aspirations did materialize, since there are 98 different ethnic groups living in harmony in Mount Vernon; affordable housing has become a reality for many and shopping areas are widespread throughout the city. Crime has not gone away, and has actually escalated all across the country in an unprecedented way. One thing that has not diminished has been the peoples' hope for a better Mount Vernon.

Helen Blackwood (c), prior to being sworn in as a judge in 2009, is pictured seated by her dad (r), former mayor, Ronald A. Blackwood.