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Unita Blackwell
William Patrick Butler · CC BY 2.0
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Unita Blackwell

American civil rights activist (1933–2019)

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Unita Zelma Blackwell was an American civil rights activist who was the first African-American woman to be elected mayor in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Blackwell was a project director for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and helped organize voter drives for African Americans across Mississippi. She was also a leader of the US–China Peoples Friendship Association, a group dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between the United States and China. She also served as an advisor to six US presidents: Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.

Quick facts

Born
wd
Place of birth
Lula wd
Died
wd
Place of death
Biloxi wd
Citizenship
United States wd
Occupation
politician, political activist, human rights defender, author wd
Political party
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (since 1964), Democratic Party wd
Education
University of Massachusetts Amherst wd

Positions held wd

  • mayor (1976–2001)
  • adviser

Awards wd

  • MacArthur Fellows Program

Questions

When was Unita Blackwell born?
Unita Blackwell was born on 18 March 1933 in Lula.
What positions has Unita Blackwell held?
Positions held by Unita Blackwell include: mayor (1976–2001); adviser.
Where did Unita Blackwell study?
Unita Blackwell was educated at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (English): Unita Blackwell · CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. Wikidata item Q7887166 · CC0 1.0
  3. Image: Unita Blackwell.jpg by William Patrick Butler (CC BY 2.0)

Last updated · facts checked 7 November 2026

Cite this page

"Unita Blackwell". DigiNepal. Last updated 7 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/unita-blackwell. Retrieved 7 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Unita Blackwell, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Unita Blackwell.jpg — William Patrick Butler, CC BY 2.0.

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