The Rise and Fall of Marion Barry as Mayor

The Rise and Fall of Marion Barry as Mayor

In January of 1990, Washington, DC, the seat of the federal government of the United States was turned upside down by scandal. While the headlines were filled with the efforts of the Bush Administration to crack down on drugs, the District's Mayor and symbol of black power against a nearly all white backdrop of authority was caught on videotape buying and than smoking crack cocaine with an exotic dancer two days before he was expected to announce an unprecedented fourth campaign for mayor. The sting was setup and carried out by a Federal Bureau of Investigation unit that had been pursing the frequent rumors of the Mayor's drug dependency.

Five years later, Barry would be successful in obtaining a fourth term. Barry's defeat of his Republican opponent, Carol Schwartz, a Jewish woman was a remarkable statement of Barry's uncanny connection with the majority of the District electorate, in the face of scandal and undisputable evidence of drug use. In fact, many regard Barry's return to the District Mayor's office as a strong slap in the face to the establishment of Congressional intervention, Federal Control Boards and the such. Barry's re-election was a result of political savvy voter registration program as well as his uncanny connection with the majority of those that lived in predominantly black and Democratic city. He connected, or at least in a public relations sense, connected with the people, he capitalized on the failures of his predecessor Sharon Pratt Kelly, talked about issues people wanted to hear about, and possessed a character trait about him that made it nearly impossible for some not to be drawn too.

Central to Marion Barry's success in Washington, DC politic...

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...on in Ward 8; campaigning along racial lines as he done successfully in 1978; and portraying himself differently in various areas of the city all the while using religion and redemption carried Barry to win back the Mayor's office. He had a connection with the residents. They put their trust in him again, this time he failed. He would be no match for the Republican Congress, and could not recover from an infamous January night in 1990. In analyzing Barry's connection with the majority of the District's electorate, Barras concludes, "Marion Barry's recovery became symbolic of large numbers of black communities in recovery -- both in the city and throughout the country. Many District voters had experienced falls similar to Barry's, and while some knew they were not of his socio-economic ilk, the experiences they shared with him created a sense of identification."