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City Connect Detroit: Bio
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor
City of Detroit
The energy and enthusiasm of the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city has translated into revitalization for America’s 11th largest city.
In 2002, at 31, Kwame M. Kilpatrick became the 60th mayor of the automotive capital of the world, hit hard by a harsh national economy and urban flight. He inherited a city hard-pressed to redefine itself to the world. Now in his second term, Mayor Kilpatrick has more experience in his rearview mirror than most American mayors receive in four terms, stated former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.
Mayor Kilpatrick garnered national recognition for successfully leading the City of Detroit through a large oil spill on the Detroit River in 2002, and was heralded by USA Today for his efforts during the largest blackout in U.S. history in 2003. In 2005, Mayor Kilpatrick hosted what Major League Baseball described as the best All-Star Game in history, with similar comments made by the National Football League for Detroit’s effort in hosting Super Bowl XL in 2006
Simultaneously, during a sluggish economy, Mayor Kilpatrick has lead Detroit to the largest residential, commercial, and economic development boom in 50 years, heralded by the New York Times and the LA Times. Under Mayor Kilpatrick’s leadership, the City of initiated more than 7,400 residential housing starts, and a $2 billion redevelopment of Detroit’s Riverfront that includes businesses, retail, residential units, and the largest urban state park in Michigan. The City of Detroit has also recruited more than 65 new businesses in Mayor Kilpatrick’s first term. In 2006, the City of Detroit was named the top city in Michigan’s southeast region in terms of new development, a designation that Detroit rarely made the top 15 ranking.
Prior to his election as mayor in 2001, Kilpatrick was the first African-American, and the youngest person elected as the leader of party in the State Legislature.
In 1998, as a state representative, he played a key role in designing the $675 million Clean Michigan Initiative, successfully earmarking 60 percent of the funds for Detroit for brownfield redevelopment, waterfront redevelopment and local park development. He also secured $7 million to address the problem of lead poisoning, which affects more children in Detroit than in the rest of Michigan combined. In addition, Kilpatrick shepherded the passage of new laws to make schools safer, expand health care benefits for retirees, protect the environment, strengthen personal protection orders, and he forged a bipartisan coalition to preserve $45 million for hospitals that serve low-income patients.
A lifelong resident of Detroit, Kilpatrick attended Pelham Middle School and Cass Technical High School. He graduated with honors, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and a teacher’s certification from Florida A&M University, where he also was captain of the football team. Prior to his election as a state representative, Mayor Kilpatrick was a middle school teacher in Detroit. He earned his juris doctorate degree from the Detroit College of Law.
Mayor Kilpatrick and his wife Carlita have twin 10-year-old boys, Jelani and Jalil, and a 4-year-old Jonas.
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