DC Board of Education (1971-1974)
In 1971, Barry announced his candidacy for at-large member of the school board in 1971, running against the incumbent, Anita L. Allen. Barry said he wanted to steer the school board back to the "issues of education" and away from problems of personalities. Barry defeated Allen, with 58 percent of the vote to Allen's 34 percent.
After being seated in 1972, the members of the board unanimously elected Barry president of the board. He served as Board president for two years, reorganizing the school system's finances and building consensus on the board. Barry advocated for a larger budget for education and raises for teachers. Barry also supported the appointment of Barbara Sizemore as the city’s superintendent, the country's first major city with a woman in that role. When the Senate held up annual payments to the District because of debate over whether the federal government should continue to pay for holding the District's partisan elections, Barry called for public hearings on the subject. He also commented, "Since it is a known fact that the majority makeup of an elected government will be black, the conferees' agreement indicates to me that some members of Congress are saying that black people cannot be fiscally responsible, and therefore, have to have a predominantly white Congress overseeing how our monies are spent."
Read more about this topic: Marion Barry
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