The First Black Mayor of Newbern, Alabama
In 2020, Patrick Braxton, a volunteer firefighter, became the first Black mayor of Newbern, Alabama, his hometown. However, the majority-white former town leaders (none of whom were elected themselves) refused to cede power. They changed the locks on the town hall, withheld access to records and finances, and held a secret election to reappoint themselves, effectively blocking Braxton from serving.
What followed was a four-year legal fight — not just for a title, but for the right to govern and to force the town to hold its first legitimate election since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 2024, a judge reinstated Braxton as mayor and demanded the town hold regular municipal elections beginning in 2025. In the fall of 2025, Braxton won his reelection bid to become mayor for another four years.
The Alabama Town That Blocked Its First Black Mayor Now Has Another
Read Capital B’s continuous coverage on Newbern, Alabama, and the first Black mayor’s fight to serve. The rural Alabama town that once ousted its first Black leader has now appointed its second Black mayor and…
Black Alabama Mayor Once Blocked by White Town Leaders Wins Reelection
NEWBERN, Ala. — On a quiet, sunny morning, Gabrielle Cook and her 20-year-old son Mark Cabil walked into their town hall to cast their ballots in an election that would decide the future of their…
Newbern’s First Black Mayor Won in the Courts, but the Fight Is Far From Over
NEWBERN, Ala. — The sunrays beamed on Patrick Braxton’s forehead as he raised his right hand and placed his left on a Bible, held by his wife, Freda. He stood confidently, ready to execute his…
After Years of Litigation, First Black Mayor in Rural Alabama Town Gets to Serve
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:…
How Alabama and the Politics of Retribution Limit Black Representation
Alabama is becoming fertile ground for the dilution of Black voters’ political power, experts say. Last week, the state’s Republican leaders refused to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s order to redraw a congressional map…
A Black Man Was Elected Mayor in Rural Alabama, but the White Town Leaders Won’t Let Him Serve
NEWBERN, Ala. — There’s a power struggle in Newbern, Alabama, and the rural town’s first Black mayor is at war with the previous administration who he says locked him out of Town Hall. After years…
About the Reporting
The coverage of the legal fight in Newbern quickly became widely discussed on the internet and social media. The story of Patrick Newbern originally reported by Capital B reporter Aallyah Wright was subsequently covered by the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, ESSENCE, and more. The reporting received a 2024 Anthem Award for News & Journalism. In 2025, the reporting series was selected for PopShifts IP List, a catalog spotlighting the “most cinematic, adaptation-ready journalistic works from undertapped newsrooms across the United States and Canada.”
Enjoy stories like these?
Capital B needs your support to tell them.
More Stories from Aallyah Wright
5 Black Designers to Watch Out For at the 2026 Met Gala
Black designers helped shape one of fashion’s biggest nights last year, but will their creations get the same red carpet treatment again? The highly anticipated 2026 Met Gala takes place May 4 and is co-chaired by iconic Black women such…
Black Farmers Aren’t Waiting on Washington to Save Them
SHANNON, Mississippi — What seemed like almost an empty building on a recent Saturday morning quickly filled with dozens of Black people — from retired federal employees to university officials and even education and land appraisal experts. They greeted one…
Railroad Wins Appeal to Take Generations-Old Land in Rural Georgia
Months ago, Blaine Smith was afraid that the Georgia Court of Appeals would allow a railroad company to seize part of his family’s generations-old land. That fear came true Wednesday when the court upheld a lower court’s decision to let…
In Rural Mississippi, a Black Town Bets on New Homes to Build Wealth
JONESTOWN, Mississippi — Felisha Stevenson has lived her whole life in this all-Black town of 852 people where everybody knows everybody. “My family, my mom, my cousin, my uncles, we’re just close,” the 40-year-old said. “In the neighborhood that I…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.