Henry Beauchamp
Born the youngest child of seven siblings to a farming family in Louisiana, Beauchamp made his impression on the world in Yakima, Wa. After working for some time as a brick mason, Beauchamp soon evolved into a community builder after raising $550,000 to build the Southeast Yakima Comm-unity Center in 1971. After being elected to the Yakima City Council in 1978, he served for 24 years, including mayor from 1986 to 1988. He has also helped save the largest Black-owned health care business in Seattle, and served on several state commissions and blue ribbon panels.
George Fleming
After getting his start playing for the NFL and the Canadian Football League from 1961 to 1966 – Fleming held the Oakland Raiders team record for longest field goal until 2003 – Fleming made his way into politics. After serving two years as a state representative, Fleming was the first African American elected to the state Senate. He fought for many causes, including the control of illicit drugs, education, small business development and civil rights. He retired in 1990.
Norm Rice
Best known as Seattle's former mayor, Rice's career began as a broadcast news reporter with KOMO-TV and KIXI radio. After working as an administrator in the private sector for several years, Rice was elected to City Council in 1978. He lost a mayoral bid in 1985 and also lost a race to represent the 7th District. In 1989, after running a three month race against City Attorney Doug Jewett, Rice became Seattle's first African American mayor. He helped revive Seattle's urban core, boosted the public school system and served as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. After stepping down in 1998, he entered the banking business, and is now vice chairman of Capital Access, LLC, an investment bank.
James Chase (1914-1987)
The first African American to be elected mayor of any large Washington city, Chase won 82 percent of the vote in Spokane in 1981, where the African American population numbered only 1.6 percent. Chase came to Spokane from Texas in 1934 by hitching rides on boxcars. He was a successful businessman, operating an apartment complex and body and fender shop; he started the Negro Active Club and was president of the local NAACP chapter for 18 years.
Ron Sims
Involved in politics since high school when he served as student body president, King County Executive Sims was the first African American elected to the King County Council. Sims has three times won reelection as the King County Executive; and promoted renaming King County after Martin Luther King Jr.
Rosa Franklin
The first elected African American woman to the state Senate, Franklin started her career in health care as a registered nurse, a profession she practiced for 42 years. She served two years as a state representative and has been a state senator for the 29th District in Tacoma since 1993. She continues to be a proponent of health care reform, education reform and civil rights.
Samuel J. Smith (1922-1995)
Smith, the first African American Seattle City Councilor, might have lost his first political race, but he never let defeat stop him. In 1958, Smith defeated incumbent Charles Stokes for a seat in the legislature, where he remained for nearly a decade before being elected to the City Council. Smith was the chief architect of a city ordinance banning discriminatory housing practices. Smith served as Council president, ran unsuccessfully for mayor, but former Gov. Booth Gardner designated a Sam Smith Day in 1985 in his honor. He retired in 1991.
George Fleming
After getting his start playing for the NFL and the Canadian Football League from 1961 to 1966 – Fleming held the Oakland Raiders team record for longest field goal until 2003 – Fleming made his way into politics. After serving two years as a state representative, Fleming was the first African American elected to the state Senate. He fought for many causes, including the control of illicit drugs, education, small business development and civil rights. He retired in 1990.
Norm Rice
Best known as Seattle's former mayor, Rice's career began as a broadcast news reporter with KOMO-TV and KIXI radio. After working as an administrator in the private sector for several years, Rice was elected to City Council in 1978. He lost a mayoral bid in 1985 and also lost a race to represent the 7th District. In 1989, after running a three month race against City Attorney Doug Jewett, Rice became Seattle's first African American mayor. He helped revive Seattle's urban core, boosted the public school system and served as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. After stepping down in 1998, he entered the banking business, and is now vice chairman of Capital Access, LLC, an investment bank.
James Chase (1914-1987)
The first African American to be elected mayor of any large Washington city, Chase won 82 percent of the vote in Spokane in 1981, where the African American population numbered only 1.6 percent. Chase came to Spokane from Texas in 1934 by hitching rides on boxcars. He was a successful businessman, operating an apartment complex and body and fender shop; he started the Negro Active Club and was president of the local NAACP chapter for 18 years.
Ron Sims
Involved in politics since high school when he served as student body president, King County Executive Sims was the first African American elected to the King County Council. Sims has three times won reelection as the King County Executive; and promoted renaming King County after Martin Luther King Jr.
Rosa Franklin
The first elected African American woman to the state Senate, Franklin started her career in health care as a registered nurse, a profession she practiced for 42 years. She served two years as a state representative and has been a state senator for the 29th District in Tacoma since 1993. She continues to be a proponent of health care reform, education reform and civil rights.
Samuel J. Smith (1922-1995)
Smith, the first African American Seattle City Councilor, might have lost his first political race, but he never let defeat stop him. In 1958, Smith defeated incumbent Charles Stokes for a seat in the legislature, where he remained for nearly a decade before being elected to the City Council. Smith was the chief architect of a city ordinance banning discriminatory housing practices. Smith served as Council president, ran unsuccessfully for mayor, but former Gov. Booth Gardner designated a Sam Smith Day in 1985 in his honor. He retired in 1991.
