Patrick Braxton will officially become mayor of Newbern, Alabama once the court approves the settlement – the first Black person to hold the position in the town’s 166-year history.

The first Black mayor of a small Alabama town, who said white city officials blocked him from taking office, will return to the role under the terms of a proposed settlement agreement

Patrick Braxton is overwhelmed with gratitude. He’s been juggling a yearslong legal battle to serve as the lawful mayor of his hometown, Newbern, Alabama. After years of harassment, his rural town enters a new chapter: Its first Black mayor will finally get to serve.

An Alabama town's first Black mayor can finally take office — four years after his election and the all-white city council locking him out. Patrick Braxton was elected in 2020 as the only candidate qualified to run for the non-partisan position of mayor in Newbern,