Albert Tresvant (April 15, 1926 – July 25, 2004)[2] was an American politician who served as the first African-American commissioner and mayor of Opa-Locka, Florida and first African-American mayor in Dade County.
Albert Tresvant | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Opa-Locka, Florida | |
| In office April 18, 1975 – April 1976 | |
| Preceded by | Kenton Wells |
| Succeeded by | Candido Giardino |
| City Council of Opa-locka, Florida | |
| In office January 1972 – June 1977 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Albert Tresvant April 15, 1926 Brunswick, Georgia |
| Died | July 25, 2004 (age 78) |
| Political party | Democratic[1] |
| Spouse | Virginia Wilkinson |
| Children | 6 |
Biography
editTresvant was born in Brunswick, Georgia.[3] When he was five, his mother died and he moved to Liberty City neighborhood of Miami where he was raised by his aunt and grandmother.[3] He attended Liberty City Elementary School and is a graduate of D.A. Dorsey Senior High School.[3] After school he ran his own upholstery business before getting involved in politics.[3] In 1956, he established the Opa-locka Civic Club to organize the Black community on improving the city.[3] In 1964, his first run for the City Commission received national attention although he lost receiving little white support.[4] In January 1972, Tresvant was nominated by commissioner Bert T. Goodson to fill a vacancy on the City Commission and unanimously appointed[5] due to his record of civic involvement and the commission's desire to have minority representation.[1] His appointment followed on riots that occurred in 1971 after a white police officer shot a black man.[1][6] At the time, Opa-locka was roughly 35-40% Black[4] and there was no district gerrymandering as City Commissioners in Opa-locka were elected at-large[1] with the largest vote-getter becoming mayor.[7] In April 1972, after serving the 3 months of his predecessor's term, Tresvant won a seat on the City Commission finishing third (656 votes) after Ronald Pierson (831 votes) and Lawrence Bowers (672 votes).[8] His term was for two years (In Opa-Locka, elections to the 5-member City Commission are held every two years; the top two vote getters are elected to 4-year terms with the first serving a 2-year term as mayor and then a 2-year term as commissioner; the second serving a 2-year term as deputy mayor and then a 2-year term as commissioner; and the third vote-getter serving a 2-year term as commissioner).[9]
In the 1974 election, Tresvant tied for first place with Kenton Wells; they decided to split the two-year mayoral term with Wells serving the first year and Tresvant's term beginning in 1975.[10][7] Both men would serve as city commissioner during the other's mayor ship.[11] He was sworn in on April 18, 1975.[4]
Upon becoming mayor, he inherited a tense situation as riots had occurred during Well's term which Tresvant blamed on Dade county for repeatedly rejecting Opa-locka's requests for additional funds to provide better housing and drug programs.[12] He also worked to hire more Black police officers inheriting a department where only 3 out of 28 officers were Black.[4] During his administration, he was able to secure more police protection for Black neighborhoods,[1] appointed more Blacks into city government,[13] and developed infrastructure. In the April 1976 general election, Candido Giardino was elected as mayor (Tresvant was unable to run due to his remaining two-year term on the City Commission).[14]
In June 1977, he was suspended as commissioner by Governor Rubin Askew over corruption allegations.[15] In July 1977, he was found guilty of conspiracy, soliciting bribes and accepting unlawful compensation in connection with a city building contract along with then mayor Candido Giardino[16] (the Rev. Willie R. Young was elected mayor in April 1978); the sentence was overturned and a new trial ordered by Circuit Court Judge Wilkie Ferguson after one juror failed to disclose a past criminal conviction and another juror complained that Tresvant had followed her into the parking lot during the trial.[17][18] The Third District Court of Appeal reinstated the conviction.[17]
Personal life
editHe was married to Virginia Wilkinson;[13] they had five daughters[19] and a son.[3] He died on July 25, 2004.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Interviewee: Albert W. Tresvant". University of Florida Oral History Project - The Dr. James Button project. September 16, 1975.
I am 49 now...
- ^ "Albert Tresvant". Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Daniel, Trenton (July 27, 2004). "First Black Mayor in Dade". The Miami Herald.
- ^ a b c d Brecher, John (April 17, 1975). "Mayor Maps New Opa-Locka". The Miami Herald.
- ^ Sink, Steve (January 29, 1972). "Opa-Locka Gets Its First Black Commissioner". The Miami Herald.
- ^ Gjebre, Bill (April 18, 1974). "Opa-locka Riot Spurred Tresvant to Make Race". The Miami Times.
- ^ a b Maeder, Jay (April 18, 1974). "2 Untie Opa-locka Election - Split Mayor's Term". The Miami Herald.
- ^ "First Black is Elected in Opa-locka; Pierson, Bowers, Tresvant Lead Vote". The Miami Herald . April 19, 1972.
- ^ Barger Jr., Fred J. (April 21, 1970). "Five Seek Three Seats in Opa-Locaka Election". The Miami Herald.
- ^ "Two mayors; one town". Dixon Evening Telegraph. April 20, 1974.
Wells and Tresvant tied in the election for mayor of Opa-locka, so they decided that each of them would serve half the two-year term. Wells will serve the first year
- ^ "Solomon Solution Graces Opalocka - HON. WILLIAM LEHMAN OF FLORIDA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES" (PDF). United States House of Representatives Congressional Record. April 22, 1974. p. 11233.
The two candidates for mayor wound up in a dead heat for the office, tied at 819 votes apiece. Nobody claimed fraud, nobody demanded a recount; the impending mayors just decided to split the term. Kenton Wells, who is white, will be mayor the first year; Albert Tresvant, who is black, will be mayor the second. Meanwhile both will be city com- missioners when they are not mayor
- ^ "Opa-locka Orders Probe Into Rioting". The Miami News. December 17, 1974.
- ^ a b Saunders, Sterling (August 26, 2009). "First Lady of Opa-locka". The Miami Times.
- ^ Grossman, Cathy Lynn (June 7, 1977). "Opa-locka Vice Mayor Seeks Manager's Ouster". The Miami Herald.
- ^ "Two Opa-locka Officials Suspended". Orlando Sentinel. June 8, 1977.
- ^ Buchanan, Jim (July 9, 1977). "Tresvant Guily of Receiving Bribe". The Miami Herald.
- ^ a b "Judge issues arrest order for former Opa-locka official". The Miami News. August 23, 1978.
Former Opa-locka city commissioner Albert Tresvant Sr. failed to show up for sentencing on his bribery conviction today and Circuit Court Judge Wilkie Ferguson issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
- ^ Buchanan, Jim (July 23, 1977). "Opa-locka Official Gets New Trial". The Miami Herald.
- ^ Beatty, Robert (January 27, 2012). "Services Set For Virginia Tresvant of Opa-locka". South Florida Times.