Lumumba received the recognition despite undergoing scrutiny for his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal.
Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, has been inducted into the National Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
The organization ventured down to the Southern city on Nov. 2 to officially induct the elected official. At the ceremony, they presented a Gold Blazer to Mayor Lumumba on behalf of the National Civil Rights Library.
According to the official website, his mayoral efforts led to wider access to clean water throughout Jackson. Moreover, he established the first policy in the state to release the names of officers involved in shootings.
Lee stepped down from her elected position hours before her federal indictment. She was accused of accepting bribes by two federal agents disguised as real estate developers. The bribes were offered to two elected officials.
Lumumba has maintained his own innocence through the political controversy.
“I have never conspired with anyone to commit a crime,” stated Lumumba, as reported by the Clarion Ledger. “That’s the basis of it and that’s all that I will share. There may come a time and place where I will expound on that at an appropriate moment, but at this point in time that’s all I have to represent.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
