Four time District of Columbia Mayor and current councilman, Marion Barry was announced dead early Sunday morning according to a Washington hospital spokesperson. After submitting himself in the hospital Thursday and being released from Howard University Hospital on Saturday, Barry died a day after his release at United Medical Center in Southeast Washington. He was 78.
Known for his incredible political comeback, prowess and countless work in the civil rights movement, Marion was highly respected in the black community and community at large as a man who impacted change and the lives of others. While his darkest hours came in 1990 after a highly publicized drug conviction where he served six months in prison, he didn’t stop aiming towards his goal. Many claimed that the conviction would end Barry’s political career, but Marion proved naysayers wrong, making what many consider the biggest political comeback in history. In 1995, Marion reclaimed his seat in the mayor’s office.
All in all, Marion worked tirelessly to improve the lives of impoverished blacks in the Washington DC area. He stressed the importance of job training and employment programs. He advocated black owned businesses and made it very clear that he wanted to do everything he could to ensure that his people were improving.
President Barack Obama said in a statement, “Through a storied, at times tumultuous life and career, he earned the love and respect of countless Washingtonians, and Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathies to Marion’s family, friends and constituents today.”
R.I.P Marion Barry. You will be remembered.