(Trinidad Express) Trinidad-born Mervyn Malcolm Dymally who rose to become the first black man in the United States to serve in the California Senate and as the State’s lieutenant governor, has died at the age of 86.
Dymally, who was born in Cedros, became a leader in the Los Angeles area’s ascendant African American political establishment in the early 1960s and served in both houses of the Legislature and in Congress. He died in Los Angeles on Sunday, after a period of declining health.
Dymally’s political longevity and ability to return time and again to public office had him winning elections well into what for many would have been their retirement years, Los Angeles News has reported.
Dymally also supported the Basdeo Panday-led United National Congress in its 1995 general election victory, helping the party win several marginal seats. Panday was out of the country yesterday and could not be contacted for comment.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Dookeran, extended condolences to Dymally’s wife and family yesterday.
“Trinidad and Tobago should recognise the significant role played by the distinguished son of our country, who was born in Cedros to become one of the first black men in the United States to have been elected to statewide office since the days of Reconstruction and who was extremely proud of his Caribbean roots,” he stated.
Dookeran said for the Lieutenant Governor to have served in the California State Assembly and the State Senate during the height of the civil rights movement is indicative of the respect and high regard in which he was held at the national level in America’s early politics.
