View source for David Dinkins

{{Short description|Mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = David Dinkins
|image        = David Dinkins 1986 cropped.jpg
|caption      = Dinkins in 1986
|office       = 106th [[Mayor of New York City]]
|term_start   = January 1, 1990
|term_end     = December 31, 1993
|predecessor  = [[Ed Koch]]
|successor    = [[Rudy Giuliani]]
|office1      = 23rd [[Borough president|Borough President]] of [[Manhattan]]
|term_start1  = January 1, 1986
|term_end1    = December 31, 1989
|predecessor1 = [[Andrew Stein]]
|successor1   = [[Ruth Messinger]]
|office2      = Member of the [[New York State Assembly]]<br />from the 78th district
|term_start2  = January 1, 1966
|term_end2    = December 31, 1966
|predecessor2 = Constituency established
|successor2   = [[Edward A. Stevenson Sr.]]
|birth_name   = David Norman Dinkins
|birth_date   = {{birth date|1927|7|10}}  
|birth_place  = [[Trenton, New Jersey]], U.S.
|death_date   = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|2020|11|23|1927|7|10}}}}
|death_place  = New York City, U.S.
|resting_place = [[Cathedral of St. John the Divine]]<ref>ttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/218956860/david-dinkins</ref>
|party        = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|otherparty = [[Democratic Socialists of America]]
|spouse       = {{marriage|[[Joyce Dinkins|Joyce Burrows]]|1953|October 11, 2020|end=d.}}
|children     = 2
|education    = [[Howard University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br />[[Brooklyn Law School]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])
|allegiance   = {{flag|United States}}
|branch       = {{flag|United States Marine Corps}}
|serviceyears = 1945–1946
}}
'''David Norman Dinkins''' (July 10, 1927&nbsp;– November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th [[mayor of New York City]] from 1990 to 1993.

Dinkins was among the more than 20,000 [[Montford Point Marine Association|Montford Point Marines]], the first African-American [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]], from 1945 to 1946.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://library.uncw.edu/web/montford/transcripts/Dinkins_David.html|title=Transcript of Interview with Dinkins, David|first=David|last=Dinkins|date=July 21, 2005|website=library.uncw.edu}}</ref> He graduated ''[[Latin honors|cum laude]]'' from [[Howard University]] and received his law degree from [[Brooklyn Law School]] in 1956. A longtime member of [[Harlem]]'s Carver [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] Club, Dinkins began his electoral career by serving in the [[New York State Assembly]] in 1966, eventually advancing to Manhattan [[borough president]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/08/nyregion/dinkins-seriously-considers-entering-the-race-for-mayor.html "Dinkins Seriously Considers Entering the Race for Mayor"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053220/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/08/nyregion/dinkins-seriously-considers-entering-the-race-for-mayor.html |date=November 24, 2020}} Lynn, Frank, ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 8, 1988.</ref> He won the [[1989 New York City mayoral election]], becoming the [[List of African-American firsts|first]] [[African Americans|African American]] to hold the office. After losing re-election [[1993 New York City mayoral election|in 1993]], Dinkins joined the faculty of [[Columbia University]] while remaining active in municipal politics.

==Early life and education==
Dinkins was born in [[Trenton, New Jersey]], to Sarah "Sally" Lucy Dinkins, a domestic worker, and William Harvey Dinkins Jr., a barber and real estate agent.<ref name="publicaffairsbooks.com">Dinkins, David N.; Knobler, Peter (2013). ''A Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic''. New York: [[PublicAffairs]]. {{ISBN|978-1-61039-301-0}}.</ref><ref name=":0" /> His parents separated when he was six years old, after which he was raised by his father.<ref name=":0">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/20/nyregion/william-dinkins-mayor-s-father-and-real-estate-agent-dies-at-85.html | work=The New York Times | first=John T. | last=McQuiston | title=William Dinkins, Mayor's Father And Real Estate Agent, Dies at 85 | date=October 20, 1991 | access-date=February 7, 2017 | archive-date=November 24, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053221/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/20/nyregion/william-dinkins-mayor-s-father-and-real-estate-agent-dies-at-85.html | url-status=live}}</ref> Dinkins moved to Harlem as a child before returning to Trenton. He attended [[Trenton Central High School]], where he graduated in 1945.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.trentonian.com/news/trenton-makes-heaven-takes-david-dinkins-dies-at-93/article_367da6f6-2ea7-11eb-b9b3-1f90de0fc628.amp.html | work=The Trentonian | first=Sulaiman | last=Abdur-Rahman | title=Legendary city native David Dinkins dies at 93 | date=November 24, 2020 | access-date=November 25, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

Upon graduating, Dinkins attempted to enlist in the [[United States Marine Corps]] but was told that a [[racial quota]] had been filled. After traveling the Northeastern United States, he finally found a recruiting station that had not, in his words, "filled their quota for Negro Marines"; however, [[World War II]] was over before Dinkins finished [[Recruit training|boot camp]].<ref name="The Takeaway">{{cite web |url=http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/218898-first-black-marines-awarded-congressional-gold-medal |title=First Black Marines Awarded Congressional Gold Medal |first=John |last=Hockenberry |author-link=John Hockenberry |date=June 27, 2012 |work=[[The Takeaway]] |access-date=July 29, 2015 |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105224410/http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/218898-first-black-marines-awarded-congressional-gold-medal/ |url-status=live}}</ref> He served in the Marine Corps from July 1945 through August 1946, attaining the rank of [[private first class]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/28/nyregion/to-run-or-not-to-run-dinkins-s-struggle.html|title=To Run or Not to Run: Dinkins's Struggle|first=Michel|last=Marriott|newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 28, 1988|access-date=December 20, 2017|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053232/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/28/nyregion/to-run-or-not-to-run-dinkins-s-struggle.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wlib.com/onair/DavidDinkins.aspx |title=David Dinkins Biography&nbsp;– 1190 WLIB&nbsp;– Your Praise & Inspiration Station |publisher=Wlib.com |access-date=September 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202185939/http://www.wlib.com/onair/DavidDinkins.aspx |archive-date=February 2, 2014}}</ref><ref name=Ebony>Cheers, D. Michael. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n4_v45/ai_8325327 "Mayor of 'The Big Apple': 'nice guy' image helps David N. Dinkins in building multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition&nbsp;– New York City"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053221/http://findarticles.com/?noadc=1 |date=November 24, 2020}}, ''[[Ebony (magazine)]]'', February 1990. Accessed September 4, 2008.</ref> Dinkins was among the [[Montford Point Marine Association|Montford Point Marines]] who received the [[Congressional Gold Medal]] from the United States Senate and House of Representatives.<ref name="The Takeaway" />

Dinkins graduated ''[[wikt: cum laude|cum laude]]'' from [[Howard University]]<ref name="publicaffairsbooks.com" /> with a [[bachelor's degree]] in mathematics in 1950. He received his [[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B.]] from [[Brooklyn Law School]] in 1956.<ref name=Ebony /><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://search.marquiswhoswho.com/profile/100017951484 |title=Marquis Biographies Online |access-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053223/http://search.marquiswhoswho.com/logon |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Political career==
=== Early and middle career ===
While maintaining a private law practice from 1956 to 1975, Dinkins rose through the Democratic Party organization in Harlem, beginning at the Carver Democratic Club under the aegis of [[J. Raymond Jones]].<ref name="publicaffairsbooks.com" /><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/11/obituaries/j-raymond-jones-harlem-kingmaker-dies-at-91.html "J. Raymond Jones, Harlem Kingmaker, Dies at 91"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053222/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/11/obituaries/j-raymond-jones-harlem-kingmaker-dies-at-91.html |date=November 24, 2020}} Fraser, C. Gerald, ''The New York Times'', June 11, 1991.</ref> He became part of an influential group of African American politicians that included [[Herman D. Farrell|Denny Farrell]], [[Percy Sutton]], [[Basil Paterson]], and [[Charles Rangel]]; the latter three together with Dinkins were known as the "[[Gang of Four (Harlem)|Gang of Four]]".<ref>Schapiro, Rich, [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/harlem-trailblazer-world-war-ii-tuskegee-airmen-percy-sutton-dies-article-1.435731 "Harlem 'trailblazer', former World War II Tuskegee] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053257/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/harlem-trailblazer-world-war-ii-tuskegee-airmen-percy-sutton-dies-article-1.435731 |date=November 24, 2020}} Airmen [''sic''] Percy Sutton dies", ''[[New York Daily News]]'', December 27, 2009.</ref> As an investor, Dinkins was one of fifty African American investors who helped Sutton found [[Inner City Broadcasting Corporation]] in 1971.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.precinctreporter.com/2020/11/24/david-dinkins-new-yorks-first-and-only-black-mayor-dies-at-93/|title=David Dinkins, New York's First and Only Black Mayor, Dies at 93|access-date=November 25, 2020|archive-date=December 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228185633/https://www.precinctreporter.com/2020/11/24/david-dinkins-new-yorks-first-and-only-black-mayor-dies-at-93/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Dinkins briefly represented the 78th District of the [[New York State Assembly]] in [[176th New York State Legislature|1966]]. From 1972 to 1973, he was president of the [[New York City Board of Elections]]. In late 1973, he was poised to take office as New York City's first Black [[Deputy Mayor of New York City|deputy mayor]] in the administration of Mayor-elect [[Abraham D. Beame]]; however, the appointment was not effectuated amid "difficulties that stemmed from [Dinkins's] failure to pay federal, state or city personal income taxes for four years."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/29/archives/dinkins-pulls-out-as-aide-to-beame-failed-to-pay-tax-deputymayor.html | title=Dinkins Pulls Out as Aide to Beame; Failed to Pay Tax | newspaper=The New York Times | date=December 29, 1973 | last1=Schumach | first1=Murray }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/david-n-dinkins-the-first-black-mayor-of-new-york-city-dead-at-93/article_960f59c4-2ebc-11eb-b5a2-1baf28b3d93a.html|title=David N. Dinkins, the first Black mayor of New York City, dead at 93|last1=Boyd |first1=Herb |last2=Arinde |first2=Nayaba |website=St. Louis American|date=November 24, 2020 }}</ref> Instead, he served as city clerk (characterized by [[Robert D. McFadden]] as a "patronage appointee who kept marriage licenses and municipal records") from 1975 to 1985.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/nyregion/david-dinkins-dead.html|title=David N. Dinkins, New York's First Black Mayor, Dies at 93|first=Robert D.|last=McFadden|newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/nyc100/html/classroom/hist_info/mayors.html#dinkins |title=NYC 100&nbsp;– NYC Mayors&nbsp;– The First 100 Years |publisher=Nyc.gov |access-date=September 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012003808/http://nyc.gov/html/nyc100/html/classroom/hist_info/mayors.html#dinkins |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He was elected [[Manhattan]] [[borough president]] in 1985 on his third run for that office. 

[[1989 New York City mayoral election|On November 7, 1989]], Dinkins was elected mayor of New York City.  In the Democratic primary, he defeated three-term incumbent mayor [[Ed Koch]] and two others, and then defeated Republican nominee [[Rudy Giuliani]] in the general election. During his campaign, Dinkins sought the blessing and endorsement of Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel Schneerson]], the [[Lubavitcher]] Rebbe.<ref>Ehrlich, M. Avrum, ''The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present'' (KTAV Publishing, January 2005), p. 109. {{ISBN|0-88125-836-9}}</ref> 

Dinkins was elected in the wake of a corruption scandal that stemmed from the decline of longtime Brooklyn Democratic Party chairman and preeminent New York City political leader [[Meade Esposito]]'s [[American Mafia]]-influenced patronage network. This scandal ultimately precipitated the suicide of Queens Borough President [[Donald Manes]] and a series of criminal convictions among the city's Democratic leadership.

In March 1989, the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] declared the [[New York City Board of Estimate]] (which served as the primary governing instrument of various patronage networks for decades, often superseding the mayoralty in influence) was  unconstitutional under the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourteenth Amendment]]'s [[Equal Protection Clause]]. This legal ruling prompted the empanelment of the [[New York City Charter Revision Commission]], which abolished the Board of Estimate. The Revision Commission assigned most of the Board's responsibilities to an enlarged [[New York City Council]], which was endorsed by a referendum in November. 

Koch, the presumptive Democratic nominee, was politically damaged by his administration's ties to the Esposito network and his handling of racial issues, exemplified by his fealty to affluent interests in predominantly white areas of Manhattan. This enabled Dinkins to attenuate public perceptions of his previous patronage appointments and emerge as a formidable, reform-minded challenger to Koch.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_A1GDIGAyTQC&q=mayor+koch+scandal+mayoral+election+1989&pg=PA237 |title=New York City: A Short History |pages=237–238, paragraph 3 |first=George J. |last=Lankevich |year=2002 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=9780814751862 |access-date=September 23, 2011 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053235/https://books.google.com/books?id=_A1GDIGAyTQC&q=mayor+koch+scandal+mayoral+election+1989&pg=PA237 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Additionally, the fact that Dinkins was African American helped him to avoid criticism that he was ignoring the Black vote by campaigning to whites.<ref>Thompson, J. Phillip, [https://www.jstor.org/pss/420053 "David Dinkins' Victory in New York City: The Decline of the Democratic Party Organization and the Strengthening of Black Politics"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053323/https://www.jstor.org/stable/420053 |date=November 24, 2020}}, ''Political Science & Politics'', June 1990.</ref> While a large turnout of African American voters was important to his election, Dinkins campaigned throughout the city.<ref name="publicaffairsbooks.com" /> Dinkins's campaign manager was political consultant [[William Lynch Jr.]], who became one of his first deputy mayors.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/political-consultant-william-lynch-jr-dies-72-article-1.1423018|work=New York Daily News|title=Political consultant William Lynch Jr. dies at 72|first=Celeste|last=Katz|access-date=November 23, 2020|date=August 9, 2013|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053259/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/political-consultant-william-lynch-jr-dies-72-article-1.1423018|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Mayoralty===
====Crime====
[[File:Keys to New York City 1991.jpg|thumb|Dinkins (second from the left) with New York governor [[Mario Cuomo]], Secretary of Defense [[Dick Cheney]]; Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff [[Colin Powell]], and General [[Norman Schwarzkopf]]]]
Dinkins entered office in January 1990 pledging racial healing, and famously referred to New York City's demographic diversity as "[[Salad bowl (cultural idea)|not a melting pot, but a gorgeous mosaic]]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/02/nyregion/mayor-dinkins-dinkins-sworn-in-stresses-aid-to-youth.html |title=Mayor Dinkins; Dinkins Sworn In; Stresses Aid to Youth |access-date=August 13, 2010 |author=Purdum, Todd S. |author-link=Todd S. Purdum |date=January 2, 1990 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053254/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/02/nyregion/mayor-dinkins-dinkins-sworn-in-stresses-aid-to-youth.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The crime rate in New York City had risen alarmingly during the 1980s, and the rate of homicide in particular reached an all-time high of 2,245 cases during 1990, the first year of the Dinkins administration.<ref>The Power of the Mayor, Chris McNickle, p. 355</ref> The rates of most crimes, including all categories of violent crime, then declined during the remainder of his four-year term. That ended a 30-year upward spiral and initiated a trend of falling rates that continued and accelerated beyond his term.<ref>Dinkins, David N.; Knobler, Peter (2013). ''A Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic''. New York: PublicAffairs. {{ISBN|978-1-61039-301-0}}. Riggio, Len, Foreword, p. xi.</ref><ref name="Langan">{{cite book |url=https://ebiblio.istat.it/digibib/Essays/IST0000120EssaysN19_2009.pdf |title=Towards a Safer Society: The Knowledge Contribution of Statistical Information |editor1=Linda Laura Sabbadini |editor2=Maria Giuseppina Muratore |editor3=Giovanna Tagliacozzo |publication-date=2009 |publisher=Istituto Nazionale di Statistica |location=Rome |isbn=978-88-458-1640-6 |chapter=The Remarkable Drop in Crime in New York City |first=Patrick A. |last=Langan |author2=Matthew R. Durose |pages=131–174 |date=December 2003 |access-date=May 7, 2018 |quote=According to [[NYPD]] statistical analysis, crime in New York City took a downturn starting around 1990 that continued for many years, shattering all the city's old records for consecutive-year declines in crime rates. [See also Appendix: Tables 1–2.] |archive-date=May 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507085422/https://ebiblio.istat.it/digibib/Essays/IST0000120EssaysN19_2009.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> However, the high absolute levels, the peak early in his administration, and the only modest decline subsequently ([[homicide]] down 12% from 1990 to 1993)<ref>The Power of the Mayor, Chris McNickle, p. 356</ref> resulted in Dinkins's suffering politically from the perception that crime remained out of control on his watch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gothamgazette.com/commentary/91.barrett.shtml |title=Giuliani's Legacy: Taking Credit For Things He Didn't Do |access-date=November 15, 2007 |author=Barrett, Wayne |author-link=Wayne Barrett |date=June 25, 2001 |work=[[Gotham Gazette]] |archive-date=October 18, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018131253/http://gothamgazette.com/commentary/91.barrett.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=NYT01>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/nyregion/26dinkins.html |title=Another Look at the Dinkins Administration, and Not by Giuliani |date=October 25, 2009 |first=Michael |last=Powell |work=The New York Times |access-date=October 26, 2009 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053255/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/nyregion/26dinkins.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Dinkins in fact initiated a hiring program that expanded the police department nearly 25%. ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported, "He obtained the State Legislature's permission to dedicate a tax to hire thousands of police officers, and he fought to preserve a portion of that anticrime money to keep schools open into the evening, an award-winning initiative that kept tens of thousands of teenagers off the street."<ref name=NYT01 /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E1DE1E31F934A3575BC0A962958260 |title=As Police Force Adds to Ranks, Some Promises Still Unfulfilled |access-date=November 15, 2007 |first=Sam |last=Roberts |date=August 7, 1994 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053324/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/07/nyregion/as-police-force-adds-to-ranks-some-promises-still-unfulfilled.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Dinkins's term was marked by a greater push toward accountability and oversight regarding police misconduct, which led to friction between Dinkins and the city's [[Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York|Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA)]]. In 1992, Dinkins proposed a bill to change the leadership of the [[Civilian Complaint Review Board]] (CCRB), the oversight body that examined complaints of police misconduct, from half-cop–half-civilian to all civilian and make it independent of the New York Police Department.<ref name="forgotten">{{cite magazine |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/10/the-forgotten-city-hall-riot.html |title=White Riot In 1992, thousands of furious, drunken cops descended on City Hall – the Queen's visit and changed New York history |author=Nahmias, Laura |magazine=The New Yorker |date=October 4, 2021 |access-date=January 21, 2022}}</ref> Following the [[List of incidents of civil unrest in New York City|Washington Heights Riot]], fueled by the beating of Jose "Kiko" Garcia, an undocumented [[Dominican Republic|Dominican]] immigrant, by a police officer, Dinkins attempted to defuse tensions by inviting Garcia's family to [[Gracie Mansion]]. This gesture outraged the city's PBA, who claimed Dinkins's actions showed favoritism toward Garcia and bias against the police.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/11/nyregion/washington-heights-case-washington-heights-dinkins-defends-actions-after.html |title=The Washington Heights Case; In Washington Heights, Dinkins Defends Actions After Shooting |author=Finder, Alan |work=The New York Times |date=September 11, 1992 |access-date=January 21, 2022}}</ref> To condemn Dinkins's position on policing, the city PBA organized a [[Patrolmen's Benevolent Association Riot|protest on September 16, 1992]]. Nearly 4,000 off-duty police officers blocked traffic on the [[Brooklyn Bridge]]. The protesters knocked over police barricades and attempted to rush [[New York City Hall|City Hall]] while the nearly 300 uniformed on-duty officers did little to control the riot.<ref name="Wisc">{{Cite web|last=Oliver|first=Pamela|title=When the NYPD Rioted – Race, Politics, Justice|date=July 18, 2020 |url=https://www.ssc.wisc.edu/soc/racepoliticsjustice/2020/07/18/when-the-nypd-rioted/|access-date=2021-01-15|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Slate">{{Cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/12/nypd_killings_new_york_city_s_largest_police_union_thinks_it_s_under_attack.html|title=Déjà Blue|last=Voorhees|first=Josh|date=2014-12-22|newspaper=Slate|language=en-US|issn=1091-2339|access-date=2016-11-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Manegold|first=Catherine S.|date=1992-09-27|title=Rally Puts Police Under New Scrutiny|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/27/nyregion/rally-puts-police-under-new-scrutiny.html|access-date=2020-06-09|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="target">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/17/nyregion/officers-rally-and-dinkins-is-their-target.html|title=Officers Rally And Dinkins Is Their Target|last=Mckinley|first=James C. Jr.|date=1992-09-17|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-11-29}}</ref> Despite the riot and public objections from the PBA, the CCRB was reorganized and made independent from the police department in July 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shielded from Justice: New York: Civilian Complaint Review Board|url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports98/police/uspo1015.htm|access-date=2021-01-15|website=www.hrw.org}}</ref>

====Dealmaking====
Dinkins was rebuffed in his attempt to end the [[Locksmithing|licensing of locksmiths]].<ref>Rebuffed by NYC City Council via a technicality {{Cite news | newspaper=[[New York Post]] | title=Dave gives some business license to skip license | quote=the Council's Consumer Affairs Committee failed to muster a quorum | author=David Seifman | date=July 3, 1992 | page=8}}</ref><ref>New York City and Miami have their own licensing laws. {{cite web | url=https://reedbrotherssecurity.com/states-with-locksmith-laws | title=States with Locksmith Laws | date=February 7, 2018}}</ref>

During his final days in office, Dinkins made last-minute negotiations with the sanitation workers, presumably to preserve the public status of garbage removal. Giuliani, who had defeated Dinkins in the 1993 mayoral race, blamed Dinkins for a "cheap political trick" when Dinkins planned the resignation of [[Victor Gotbaum]], Dinkins's appointee on the board of education, thus guaranteeing Gotbaum's replacement six months in office.<ref>[[Fred Siegel|Siegel, Fred]], ''The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York, and the Genius of American Life'' (San Francisco: [[Encounter Books]], 2005), p. 90.</ref> Dinkins also signed a last-minute 99-year lease with the [[USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center|USTA National Tennis Center]]. By negotiating a fee for New York City based on the event's gross income, the Dinkins administration made a deal with the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] that brings more economic benefit to the City of New York each year than the [[New York Yankees]], [[New York Mets]], [[New York Knicks]], and [[New York Rangers]] combined.<ref name="publicaffairsbooks.com" /> The city's revenue-producing events [[New York Fashion Week|Fashion Week]], [[New York Restaurant Week|Restaurant Week]], and [[Broadway on Broadway]] were all created under Dinkins.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=New York Lifestyles Magazine|title=David Dinkins! New York Now and Then|url=https://newyorklifestylesmagazine.com/archives/01_16/articles/dinkins.html|last=Nesoff|first=Bob|access-date=November 24, 2020|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124231124/https://newyorklifestylesmagazine.com/archives/01_16/articles/dinkins.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Other longterm matters====
Dinkins's term was marked by polarizing events such as the [[Family Red Apple boycott]], a boycott of a Korean-owned grocery in [[Flatbush, Brooklyn|Flatbush]], Brooklyn, and the [[Crown Heights riot|1991 Crown Heights riot]]. When [[Lemrick Nelson]] was acquitted of murdering [[Yankel Rosenbaum]] during the [[Crown Heights riots]], Dinkins said, "I have no doubt that in this case the criminal-justice system has operated fairly and openly."<ref name="New York Magazine">{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=John|title=The Politics of Grievance: Dinkins, the Blacks, and the Jews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-QCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18|access-date=January 21, 2014|newspaper=New York Magazine|date=December 7, 1992|archive-date=June 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626195622/http://books.google.com/books?id=o-QCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18|url-status=live}}</ref> Later he wrote in his memoirs, "I continue to fail to understand that verdict."<ref name="publicaffairsbooks.com" />

In 1991, when "Iraqi [[Scud missile]]s were falling" in Israel<ref name=Trip2>{{Cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 9, 1993 |page=B3
|author=Clyde Haberman
|title=Dinkins Leaves Israel}}</ref> and the Mayor's press secretary said "security would be tight and [[gas masks]] would be provided for the contingent",<ref name=trip.TLV>{{cite web
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/26/nyregion/dinkins-to-lead-contingent-in-trip-to-israel.html
|title=Dinkins to Lead Contingent in Trip to Israel
|website=[[The New York Times]]
|author=Felicia R. Lee
|date=January 26, 1991
|access-date=August 1, 2018
|archive-date=November 24, 2020
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053255/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/26/nyregion/dinkins-to-lead-contingent-in-trip-to-israel.html
|url-status=live
}}</ref> Mayor Dinkins visited Israel as a sign of support.<ref name="UPI">{{cite web|author=Jonathan Ferziger|date=February 4, 1991|title=Dinkins visits Shamir, Patriots, Ethiopians|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/02/04/Dinkins-visits-Shamir-Patriots-Ethiopians/6223665643600|website=UPI.com|access-date=August 1, 2018|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053306/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/02/04/Dinkins-visits-Shamir-Patriots-Ethiopians/6223665643600/?ur3=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Dinkins administration was adversely affected by a declining economy, which led to lower tax revenue and budget shortfalls.<ref name=Powell>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/nyregion/26dinkins.html |title=Another Look at the Dinkins Administration, and Not by Giuliani |work=The New York Times |date=October 5, 2009 |author1=Powell, Michael |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053255/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/nyregion/26dinkins.html |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |access-date=February 7, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Nevertheless, Dinkins's mayoralty was marked by a number of significant achievements.<ref name=Powell /> New York City's crime rate, including the murder rate, declined in Dinkins's final years in office; Dinkins persuaded the state legislature to dedicate certain tax revenue for crime control (including an increase in the size of the [[New York Police Department]] along with after-school programs for teenagers), and he hired [[Raymond W. Kelly]] as police commissioner.<ref name=Powell /> [[Times Square]] was cleaned up during Dinkins's term, and he persuaded [[The Walt Disney Company]] to rehabilitate the old [[New Amsterdam Theatre]] on [[42nd Street (Manhattan)|42nd Street]].<ref name=Powell /> The city negotiated a [[99-year lease]] of city park space to the [[United States Tennis Association]] to create the [[USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center|USTA National Tennis Center]] (which Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] later called "the only good athletic sports stadium deal, not just in New York,  but in the country").<ref name=Powell /> Dinkins continued an initiative begun by Ed Koch to rehabilitate dilapidated housing in northern Harlem, the [[South Bronx]], and Brooklyn; overall more housing was rehabilitated in Dinkins's one term than in Giuliani's two.<ref name=Powell /> With the support of Governor [[Mario Cuomo]], the city invested in [[supportive housing]] for mentally ill homeless people and achieved a decrease in the size of the city's homeless shelter population to its lowest point in two decades.<ref name=NYT01 />

===1993 election===
{{Main|1993 New York City mayoral election}}
In 1993, Dinkins lost to [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Rudy Giuliani]] in a rematch of the [[1989 New York City mayoral election|1989 election]]. Dinkins earned 48.3 percent of the vote, down from 51 percent in 1989.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE4DF153EF930A35752C1A965958260 | work=The New York Times | first=Todd S. | last=Purdum | title=Giuliani ousts Dinkins by a thin margin ... | date=November 3, 1993 | access-date=February 7, 2017 | archive-date=November 24, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053302/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/03/nyregion/1993-elections-mayor-giuliani-ousts-dinkins-thin-margin-whitman-upset-winner.html | url-status=live}}</ref> Factors in his loss were his perceived indifference to the plight of the Jewish community during the Crown Heights riot,<ref name=Shapiro>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=StQXz-ClGuUC |access-date=October 20, 2007 |last=Shapiro |first=Edward S. |year=2006 |title=Crown Heights: Blacks, Jews, and the 1991 Brooklyn Riot |location=Waltham, Massachusetts |publisher=[[Brandeis University]] Press, [[University Press of New England]] |isbn=1-58465-561-5 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053302/https://books.google.com/books?id=StQXz-ClGuUC |url-status=live}}</ref> a strong turnout for Giuliani in [[Staten Island]] (a referendum on [[Secession in New York#Staten Island secession|Staten Island's secession from New York]] was placed on the ballot that year by Democratic Governor [[Mario Cuomo]] and the [[New York State Legislature]]),<ref name="publicaffairsbooks.com" /> and suppression of the Hispanic vote by Giuliani.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yang |first=Maya |date=2023-04-29 |title=Giuliani admits using 'dirty trick' to suppress Hispanic vote in mayoral race |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/29/rudy-giuliani-hispanic-vote-suppression-new-york-election |url-status=live |access-date=2023-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429173403/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/29/rudy-giuliani-hispanic-vote-suppression-new-york-election |archive-date=2023-04-29 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Later career==
[[File:David Dinkins 2014.jpg|thumb|right|Dinkins in 2014]]
From 1994 until his death, Dinkins was a professor of professional practice at the [[Columbia University]] [[School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University|School of International and Public Affairs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/david-dinkins |title=SIPA: Faculty David N. Dinkins |publisher=Columbia University |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053310/https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/david-dinkins |url-status=live}}</ref>

Dinkins was a member of the board of directors of the [[United States Tennis Association]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2020/11/david-dinkins-was-new-york-city-mayor-and-tennis-superfan/91928/|title=David Dinkins was a New York City mayor, and a tennis superfan|website=Tennis.com}}</ref> He served on the boards of the New York City Global Partners, the [[Children's Health Fund]], the Association to Benefit Children, and the [[Nelson Mandela Children's Fund]]. Dinkins was also on the advisory board of [[Independent News & Media]] and the Black Leadership Forum, was a member of the [[Council on Foreign Relations]], and served as chairman [[:wikt:emeritus|emeritus]] of the board of directors of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.<ref name="usta.com">{{cite web|title=David N. Dinkins, Director at Large|url=http://www.usta.com/About-USTA/Organization/Board-of-Directors/Bio/DavidNDinkins_Director_at_Large/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720032950/http://www.usta.com/About-USTA/Organization/Board-of-Directors/Bio/DavidNDinkins_Director_at_Large/|archive-date=July 20, 2010|access-date=September 1, 2017|publisher=United States Tennis Association}}</ref>

Dinkins's radio program ''Dialogue with Dinkins'' aired on [[WLIB]] radio in New York City from 1994 to 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wlib.com/pages/143245.php |title=Praise Team: On-Air Schedule|publisher=WLIB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701102942/http://wlib.com/pages/143245.php|date=January 6, 2009|archive-date=July 1, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/decades-david-dinkins-signing-radio-station-wlib-article-1.1744770 |title=After two decades, David Dinkins signing off at radio station WLIB |date=April 4, 2014 |access-date=September 18, 2017 |author=Hinckley, David |work=[[New York Daily News]] |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053321/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/decades-david-dinkins-signing-radio-station-wlib-article-1.1744770 |url-status=live}}</ref>  His memoirs, ''[[A Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic]]'',<ref name="publicaffairsbooks.com" /> written with [[Peter Knobler]], were published in 2013.<ref>[http://www.trentonian.com/general-news/20130921/trentonian-david-dinkins-tells-all-in-a-mayors-life "Trentonian David Dinkins tells all in ''A Mayor's Life''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053352/https://www.trentonian.com/news/trentonian-david-dinkins-tells-all-in-a-mayors-life/article_f93eb2ea-5f3d-5cf9-9dac-41310e2683e2.html |date=November 24, 2020}} Trenton (NJ) Trentonian, September 21, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/books/review/if-mayors-ruled-the-world-and-a-mayors-life.html "Their Honors"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053323/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/books/review/if-mayors-ruled-the-world-and-a-mayors-life.html |date=November 24, 2020}} Roberts, Sam, ''The New York Times'', Sunday Book Review, November 22, 2013.</ref>

Although he never attempted a political comeback, Dinkins remained somewhat active in politics after his mayorship, and his endorsements of various candidates, including [[Mark Green (New York politician)|Mark Green]] in the [[2001 New York City mayoral election|2001 mayoral race]], were well-publicized. He supported Democrats [[Fernando Ferrer]] in the 2005 New York mayoral election, [[Bill Thompson (New York politician)|Bill Thompson]] in 2009, and [[Bill de Blasio]] in 2013.<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/thompson-picks-pair-key-endorsements-article-1.1362268 "William Thompson picks up a pair of key endorsements"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053305/https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/thompson-picks-pair-key-endorsements-article-1.1362268 |date=November 24, 2020}} Fermino, Jennifer, ''Daily News'' (New York), June 3, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/nyregion/the-ghosts-of-mayors-past.html "The Ghosts of Mayors Past"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053408/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/nyregion/the-ghosts-of-mayors-past.html |date=November 24, 2020}} Roberts, Sam, ''The New York Times'', September 29, 2013.</ref> During the [[2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2004 Democratic presidential primaries]], Dinkins endorsed and actively campaigned for [[Wesley Clark]].<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-01-21-dinkins-clark_x.htm "David Dinkins supports Wesley Clark, to join him in N.H."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053306/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-01-21-dinkins-clark_x.htm |date=November 24, 2020}}, ''USA Today'', Associated Press, January 21, 2004.</ref> In the campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Dinkins served as an elected delegate from New York for [[Hillary Clinton]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gazette.net/stories/10012010/polinew192830_32533.php |title=Reporters Notebook: New Yorkers make their mark on Maryland politics |work=The Gazette |location=Gaithersburg, MD |date=October 1, 2010 |access-date=September 23, 2011 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924040533/http://www.gazette.net/stories/10012010/polinew192830_32533.php |url-status=live}}</ref> During the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, Dinkins endorsed former Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] for president on February 25, 2020, just before a Democratic debate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-david-dinkins-endorses-mike-bloomberg-president-20200226-lvzsmivq2nhovf22g3ri6nkghi-story.html|title=Former NYC Mayor David Dinkins endorses Mike Bloomberg for President|last=Wilkinson|first=Joseph|website=nydailynews.com|date=February 25, 2020 |access-date=February 26, 2020|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053307/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-david-dinkins-endorses-mike-bloomberg-president-20200226-lvzsmivq2nhovf22g3ri6nkghi-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Dinkins sat on the board of directors and in 2013 was on the Honorary Founders Board of The [[Jazz Foundation of America]].<ref>[http://www.jazzfoundation.org/about-jazz-foundation-america/board-committees/honorary-founders-board/hon-david-dinkins "Hon. David Dinkins"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303191255/http://jazzfoundation.org/about-jazz-foundation-america/board-committees/honorary-founders-board/hon-david-dinkins |date=March 3, 2015}}, JazzFoundation.org. Retrieved January 27, 2013.</ref><ref name="Dinkins PMC">McMullan, Patrick, May 10, 2009. [http://www.patrickmcmullan.com/site/event_detail.aspx?eid=25724 "The Jazz Foundation of America's 'A great night in Harlem' benefit" (photo archive)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053318/https://www.patrickmcmullan.com/site/event_detail.aspx?eid=25724 |date=November 24, 2020}} patrickmcmullan.com, May 29, 2008. Event at the [[Apollo Theater]], NYC. Accessed: May 10, 2009.</ref> He worked with that organization to save the homes and lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, including musicians who survived [[Hurricane Katrina]]. He served on the boards of the [[Children's Health Fund|Children's Health Fund (CHF)]], the Association to Benefit Children, and the [[Nelson Mandela Children's Fund|Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF)]]. Dinkins was also chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.<ref name="usta.com" /> He was a champion of college access, serving on the [[Posse Foundation]] National Board of Directors until his death in 2020.<ref>[https://www.possefoundation.org/news-and-events/longtime-board-member-former-nyc-mayor-david-dinkins-reflects-on-path-to-education-posse "Longtime Board Member, Former NYC Mayor David Dinkins Reflects on Path to Education, Posse"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053349/https://www.possefoundation.org/news-and-events/longtime-board-member-former-nyc-mayor-david-dinkins-reflects-on-path-to-education-posse |date=November 24, 2020}}, possefoundation.org. Retrieved April 19, 2019.</ref>

The [[Manhattan Municipal Building|David N. Dinkins Municipal Building]] in Manhattan was named after the former mayor in 2015 by mayor [[Bill de Blasio]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hajela |first1=Deepti |title=David Dinkins, first Black mayor of New York City, dies at 93 |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7480734/david-dinkins-new-york-mayor-obit/ |website=Global News |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=3 November 2022 |date=24 November 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:US Open Tennis 2010 1st Round 053 (4944140400).jpg|thumb|right|Dinkins watching a [[US Open (tennis)|US Open tennis]] game in 2010]]
Dinkins married [[Joyce Dinkins|Joyce Burrows]], the daughter of Harlem political eminence [[Daniel L. Burrows]], in August 1953.<ref>{{cite news |title=Joyce Burrows and David Dinkins are wed in double ring ceremony |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/40478147/ |access-date=October 13, 2020 |work=The New York Age |date=September 5, 1953 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053308/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/40478147/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Marriott |first1=Michel |title=Joyce Dinkins, a Quiet Lady Who Is No Longer a Private Person |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/01/nyregion/joyce-dinkins-a-quiet-lady-who-is-no-longer-a-private-person.html |access-date=October 14, 2020 |work=New York Times |date=January 1, 1990 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053403/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/01/nyregion/joyce-dinkins-a-quiet-lady-who-is-no-longer-a-private-person.html |url-status=live}}</ref> They had two children, David Jr. and Donna.<ref name="david'slife" /> When Dinkins became mayor of New York City, Joyce retired from her position at the State Department of Taxation and Finance. The couple were members of the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] [[Church of the Intercession, New York|Church of the Intercession]] in New York City. Joyce died on October 11, 2020, at the age of 89.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/joyce-dinkins-wife-of-nyc-s-first-black-mayor-dies/ar-BB19XndQ |title=Joyce Dinkins, wife of NYC's first Black mayor, dies |website=[[MSN]] |access-date=October 13, 2020 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124053311/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/joyce-dinkins-wife-of-nyc-s-first-black-mayor-dies/ar-BB19XndQ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Dinkins was a member of [[Alpha Phi Alpha]] and [[Sigma Pi Phi]] ("the Boule"), the oldest collegiate and first professional [[Greek alphabet|Greek-letter]] [[Fraternities and sororities|fraternities]], respectively, established for African Americans. He was raised as a Master Mason in King David Lodge No. 15, F. & A. M., PHA, located in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1952.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/11/david-dinkins-new-yorks-only-black-mayor-has-died-at-93.html|title=David Dinkins, New York's First and Only Black Mayor, Has Died at 93|first=Matt|last=Stieb|date=November 24, 2020|website=Intelligencer}}</ref>

In 1994, Dinkins was part of an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]] delegation to [[Haiti]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/ENS/ENSphoto_display.pl?pr_number=94117&photo_index=0|title=piscopal Church Delegation to Haiti Finds Desperate Struggle to Cope|first=Anita|last=Lemonis|publisher=Episcopal News Service|date=June 15, 1994|access-date=November 24, 2020|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124231152/https://episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/ENS/ENSphoto_display.pl?pr_number=94117&photo_index=0|url-status=live}}</ref>

Dinkins was hospitalized in New York on October 31, 2013, for treatment of [[pneumonia]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Dinkins hospitalized|url=http://www.myfoxny.com/story/23841785/dinkins-hospitalized|publisher=WNYW|location=New York|date=October 31, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101162407/http://www.myfoxny.com/story/23841785/dinkins-hospitalized|archive-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref> He was hospitalized again for pneumonia on February 19, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nyc-mayor-dinkins-hospitalized-pneumonia-37068200|title=Former NYC Mayor Dinkins Hospitalized for Pneumonia|work=ABC News |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]].com|access-date=February 20, 2016|archive-date=February 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220165115/http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nyc-mayor-dinkins-hospitalized-pneumonia-37068200|url-status=live}}</ref>

Dinkins starred as himself on April 13, 2018, in [[Blue Bloods (season 8)#ep174|"Risk Management"]], the 19th episode of the 8th season of the [[CBS]] [[police procedural]] drama ''[[Blue Bloods (TV series)|Blue Bloods]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20180322cbs01/|title=Listings-Blue Bloods|date=April 13, 2018|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref>

===Death===
On November 23, 2020, Dinkins died from unspecified natural causes at his home on the [[Upper East Side]] of [[Manhattan]], about a month after his wife's death. He was 93.<ref name="david'slife">{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/nyregion/david-dinkins-dead.html|title = David N. Dinkins, New York's First Black Mayor, Dies at 93|work = [[The New York Times]]|date = November 24, 2020|access-date = November 24, 2020|last = McFadden|first = Robert D.|author-link = Robert D. McFadden|archive-date = November 24, 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201124231143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/nyregion/david-dinkins-dead.html|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/former-new-york-city-mayor-david-dinkins-dies-at-93/2742619/|agency=NBC 4 New York|title=Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins Dies at 93|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=November 23, 2020|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124113714/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/former-new-york-city-mayor-david-dinkins-dies-at-93/2742619/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Books ==
* {{Cite book |last1=Dinkins |first1=David N. |first2=Peter |last2=Knobler |year=2013 |title=A Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic |url=https://archive.org/details/mayorslifegovern0000dink |location=New York |publisher=PublicAffairs Books |isbn=9781610393010 |oclc=826322884 |url-access=registration}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Politics|New York City|New York (state)}}
* [[List of mayors of New York City]]
* [[Timeline of New York City#1980s–1990s|Timeline of New York City]], 1980s–1990s

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=McNickle |first=Chris |year=2012 |title=The Power of the Mayor: David Dinkins, 1990–1993 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bpsuDwAAQBAJ |location=New Brunswick, NJ |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=9781412849593 |oclc=930793065}}
* [[David Paterson|Paterson, David]] (2020). ''[[David Paterson#Works|Black, Blind, & in Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity]]''. New York.
* [[Charles Rangel|Rangel, Charles B]].; Wynter, Leon (2007). ''And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress''. New York: St. Martin's Press.
* John C. Walker (1989). ''The Harlem Fox: [[J. Raymond Jones]] at Tammany 1920–1970'', New York: State University New York Press.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://findingaids.cul.columbia.edu/ead//nnc-rb/ldpd_6058659/summary Finding Aid for the David N. Dinkins Papers housed at Columbia University's Rare Book and Manuscript Library]
* {{C-SPAN|3029}}
* {{Find a Grave|218956860|David Dinkins}}
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{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[New York State Assembly|New York Assembly]]<br />from the 78th district|years=1966}}
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{{Mayors of New York City}}
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