Anthony Foxx: Charlotte, NC's New Mayor
Posted on 21. Jan, 2010 by Leshell Hatley in History, Law, Scholarly Celebrations
Anthony Foxx is Mayor (D) of the City of Charlotte, NC. He began his political career in 2005 with his election to City Council as an At-Large representative and served two terms before being elected Mayor in 2009.
Early Life
Raised in the Dale Brook of Charlotte neighborhood by his mother and grandparents, Anthony Foxx knows the power of opportunity. Though his family had modest financial means, they made sure Anthony received a great education and taught him the value of hard work and service.
As a child, Anthony watched his grandparents, who were public school teachers, sacrifice for his educational opportunities and work tirelessly to help make Charlotte a better place to live.
Education
Thanks to their efforts, Anthony’s hard work and city leaders committed to expanding opportunity to all parts of Charlotte, Anthony received a great education at West Charlotte High School and went on to attend Davidson College. At Davidson, he received a bachelor’s degree in history and became the first African American elected to student body president. Anthony earned his law degree from New York University School of Law where he received the competitive Root-Tilden-Snow Public Interest Law Scholarship.
After law school, Anthony chose to follow the lessons of his grandparents and set out to make a difference. He served in all three branches of federal government, serving as a judicial clerk for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit, a trial attorney for the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and counsel for the House Judiciary Committee.
Service
Anthony soon returned to Charlotte and quickly began to serve the city that had given him so much. He led efforts to organize volunteer lawyers to respond to election irregularities and served on a number of boards, including the Mecklenburg County Education Budget Advisory Committee, the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching Foundation Board, and the North Carolina Dance Theatre Board.
Anthony has served as an at-large member of Charlotte City Council since 2005. From day one, he has been a strong advocate for Charlotte neighborhoods and families and a leader for the future of Charlotte. Anthony championed a groundbreaking initiative to create job growth and opportunities in Charlotte neighborhoods. He put an end to years of neglect of our public safety and transportation needs by fighting to hire police officers and build roads. Anthony has chaired the city council environment and transportation committees and is a member of the economic development committee. Anthony’s continued service to Charlotte remains guided by the lessons of his youth and motivated by a steadfast determination to fight for a brighter future for all of Charlotte.
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Information obtained from Anthony Foxx campaign website and website of the city of Charlotte, NC.
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