David Dinkins, who died Monday at age 93, was New York City’s only Black mayor and a true champion for equality. In a year already overflowing with multiple crises and a deadly pandemic ravaging the nation, he leaves behind a legacy of what it means to serve our country and how to lead with courage and grace.
Dinkins famously called New York City’s diversity a “gorgeous mosaic.” He was one of the most elegant pieces of that mosaic.
Dinkins, Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton, New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, and U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel were known to New Yorkers as the “Gang of Four.” We considered them coolest, smoothest Black men ever.