June 15, 1996

The first Black mayor of Little Rock, Charles E. Bussey Jr. died at the age of seventy-seven. Bussey was the first African American elected to serve on the Little Rock City Board of Directors since Reconstruction and the first Black deputy sheriff of Pulaski County. Bussey focused his work toward the involvement of youth and disadvantaged young people in civic and community activities, prioritizing leadership and active citizenship. He also sought to present Little Rock in a positive light and reflect the community healing that was required since the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.