Jessie M. Rattley
Encyclopedia
Jessie Menifield Rattley (1929 – March 2, 2001) served as the mayor
of Newport News, Virginia
from 1986 to 1990.
. She was the first African-American to be elected to the Newport News City Council in 1970. Her election was seen as a major turning point in the civil rights
movement for residents in Newport News. Her presence on the City Council led to residents of the city's Southeast community (most of them African-American) seeing funding for their schools and city services increased. She was elected vice-mayor in 1976 and mayor in 1986, the first woman and first African-American to hold that office. During her tenure as mayor, she received some criticism from residents due to her controversial plan to expand HUD
and federally subsidized low-income housing
into what was the more recently upscale sections of the city, such as Denbigh.
On August 9, 2005, the Newport News City Hall and the government buildings immediately surrounding it were rededicated the Jessie Menifield Rattley Municipal Center in her honor.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
from 1986 to 1990.
Life and career
Rattley obtained a degree from distance learning school La Salle Extension UniversityLa Salle Extension University
La Salle Extension University , also styled as LaSalle Extension University, was a nationally accredited private university based in Chicago, Illinois. Although the school offered resident educational programs in classes and seminars their primary mode of delivery was by way of distance learning...
. She was the first African-American to be elected to the Newport News City Council in 1970. Her election was seen as a major turning point in the civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
movement for residents in Newport News. Her presence on the City Council led to residents of the city's Southeast community (most of them African-American) seeing funding for their schools and city services increased. She was elected vice-mayor in 1976 and mayor in 1986, the first woman and first African-American to hold that office. During her tenure as mayor, she received some criticism from residents due to her controversial plan to expand HUD
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
and federally subsidized low-income housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
into what was the more recently upscale sections of the city, such as Denbigh.
On August 9, 2005, the Newport News City Hall and the government buildings immediately surrounding it were rededicated the Jessie Menifield Rattley Municipal Center in her honor.