Gilbert H. Bradley, Jr. was a pioneering politician who became the first African American mayor of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was born on September 16, 1940, in Hodge, Louisiana, to Gilbert and Carrie Bradley. When he was three years old, his family moved to Inkster, Michigan.
While much of Bradley’s early life remains undocumented, he attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where he earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education. He also pursued a Doctorate of Divinity. During his time at the university, he became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
Bradley became active in politics and aligned himself with the Democratic Party. He served as vice mayor of Kalamazoo from 1969 to 1971. In a 1969 Kalamazoo Gazette article, Bradley reflected on his election, stating that it showed the city was “not as racist as some people might have thought.” From 1971 to 1973, Bradley served as mayor, becoming the first African American to hold that office in Kalamazoo, having been elected at the age of 31. As mayor, he tackled key issues including housing inequality, educational access, recreational programming, and services for senior citizens. Although his tenure lasted only two years, Bradley brought a fresh and youthful perspective to city leadership, placing the needs of the poor and working-class communities at the center of his agenda…