When Mary Sheffield took office last month she became the first female mayor of Detroit. Sheffield is the 76th person to hold that office. She’s also the first Black woman to become mayor.
February is Black History Month and, with Sheffield’s achievement in mind, Michigan Public’s Morning Edition is featuring stories of other pioneering Black women in Michigan politics.
One of those women is Brenda Lawrence. In 2001, Lawrence became the first Black mayor of Southfield. She would go on to represent Michigan in Congress for eight years…