rd to watch over the city. Under Barry, the office of the mayor gradually lost more and more power. A five person, Control Board appointed by the President oversaw all major decisions and financial matters. Many saw Congress’s actions as a personal attack on Barry since he had embarrassed the country before. Despite the pressure from the white establishment Barry was a popular with the people of the city. Barry’s failures and battle with Newt Gingrich and the Republican Congress even furthered the feeling many longtime residents of the District. The white establishment, be it Congress, the White House, the media did not trust a group of relatively poor and uneducated African Americans to govern themselves. Tensions between the two groups reached a pinnacle, when Marion Barry, a convicted drug user was reelected as the city’s mayor. Barry’s fourth term was disastrous and unsuccessful by nearly all accounts. His poor performance forced Congress to strip the mayor of his power. Now, the current mayor Anthony Williams is working hard to overcome what years of poor policy resulted in. At the current time, Williams seems to be more popular with the white establishment than his predecessor. Hopefully, the two governments in Washington the national and the local will be able to look past racial lines and political party alliances and work together to provide services and community to the District and restore the tarnished civil pride of the Federal City.Barry’ success was in simplest terms a brilliant political use of the so called “race card.” His comeback, based on a three-prong strategy; increase voter registration in Ward 8; campaigning along racial lines as he done successfully in 1978; and portraying himself differently in various areas of the city all the while using religion and redemption carried Barry to win back the Mayor’s office. He had a connection with the residents. ...
