Paradise Valley Mayors

In a time when self-governance was essential to the survival of Black residents in Black Bottom and Paradise Valley, a city council was formed in the mid-1930s.  Sunnie Wilson was the first unofficial mayor of Paradise Valley while Roy Lightfoot was the first mayor to be elected through a newspaper poll in 1936, followed by Reuben Patton, Chester Rentie, Albert Pakeman, and Don Walters.  

An insert from Sunnie Wilson’s autobiography details one example of a mayor’s responsibilities in Black Bottom.  Wilson, who proclaimed his love for politics, states, “I became mayor strictly to help out my fellow black folks in Paradise Valley” (Wilson, 65).  Wilson used his position as a mayor to protect black tenants from unlawful evictions, stage protests against racist business owners, encourage voter registration, and meet with politicians to help improve the conditions of Black Bottom and Paradise Valley.  Wilson also dedicated time to visiting community centers and providing care baskets for low income families.  

In addition to Wilson, Lightfoot served as a chairman of numerous organizations that aided residents of Black Bottom and established the Christmas Basket Fund, which provided over 563 families and elderly women with care packages around the holiday season.  Rentie, who was described as the “longest serving mayor,” (Michigan Chronicle) worked alongside the NAACP and received awards for his leadership, particularly during the Detroit Riots of ‘43 (The Chicago Defender).