Alabama Town Restores Authority to First Black Mayor: 'It Feels Good'

Patrick Braxton, 57, has officially been reinstated as the mayor of Newbern, Alabama, following a four-year struggle to assume his elected position. Braxton made history in 2020 as the first Black mayor of the rural, majority-Black town in Hale County, a community that had not seen a legitimate election in approximately 60 years.

Despite winning the mayoral seat, Braxton faced opposition from local white officials who refused to allow him to perform his duties. However, a recent federal court settlement has now set a significant precedent for small-town governance and mandated that Newbern will hold its first regularly scheduled municipal election in 2025.

"Incidents like this must not continue in small towns. We're taking a stand and establishing boundaries to prevent future occurrences," Braxton told AL.com.

Braxton initiated legal action in 2022 against the previous white administration for obstructing his access to the office. The lawsuit, which escalated to federal court, accused former Mayor Hayward Stokes III and town council members of breaching the Voting Rights Act.

The lawsuit highlighted a long-standing practice among Newbern's white residents of treating elected offices as inherited positions, appointing each other to roles of mayor and council members for decades. Braxton, a contractor and volunteer firefighter, decided to challenge this tradition by running for office. During his campaign, he actively supported the community by distributing state flags, hand sanitizer, face masks, and food during the pandemic. As the sole candidate in the election, Braxton won the mayoral seat.

"I just wanted to improve the town and was already contributing significantly to help the community," Braxton said.

However, after his victory, Braxton faced numerous obstacles. He was denied access to manage the town's finances, barred from opening the municipal mailbox, and locked out of the town hall, with the locks changed multiple times. In a controversial move, Stokes, who had been mayor since 2008, organized a special election to reclaim the office.

For the past four years, Newbern experienced a deadlock with both Braxton and Stokes claiming the mayoral title. The recent settlement, approved by a United States district judge on July 23, has officially reinstated Braxton as mayor.

"This settlement is a crucial victory for Newbern residents who, after decades of conflict and struggles to exercise their voting rights, will finally have their voices heard," said Morenike Fajana, senior counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, which represented Braxton and other plaintiffs, in a news release.

Braxton's inauguration is scheduled for August 3. His first action as mayor will be to convene a council meeting.

"It feels good to address the injustices," Braxton said.