Ravi K. Perry, “Black Mayors, White Majorities: The Balancing Act of Racial Politics” (University of Nebraska Press, 2014)

Do black mayors face a different governing challenge than other mayors? Ravi K. Perry explores this question in his Black Mayors, White Majorities: The Balancing Act of Racial Politics (University of Nebraska Press, 2014). Perry is assistant professor of political science at Mississippi State University.

Using the cities of Toledo and Dayton, Ohio as his starting point, Perry’s book investigates the ways black mayors govern in majority white cities. He compares how Jack Ford, mayor of Toledo from 2002-2006, and Rhine McLin, mayor of Dayton from 2002-2010, use targeted universalism to balance the need to represent black and white constituents. This balancing act is a tenuous one for black mayors with such high expectations and often limited authority to deliver the range of needs of the community. Perry’s research ranges from historical analysis of election results and rhetorical analysis of speeches to deliver a thoughtful look at two interesting political figures and an understudied area of political science scholarship.

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