Patrick Braxton’s Story of Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Rivy Mosegi, Opinion Editor 

NEWBERN, Alabama, is a small town of about two hundred people, where the legacy of slavery still lingers in the soil and even the cemeteries remain racially segregated. Patrick Braxton, now 59, was born and raised in Newbern. In November 2020, he became the town’s first Black mayor, winning the election 66 to 26. For more than sixty years, the mayor-council government had not been chosen through public elections. Instead, officials described a “hand-me-down” system in which white mayors appointed their successors, often passing the role down to family members.

Braxton et al. v. Stokes et al. was the federal lawsuit Braxton filed against former mayor Woody Stokes III, along with several white residents of the town, accusing them of discrimination. The lawsuit claimed they deliberately changed the locks on the town hall to keep him from entering and carrying out his duties as mayor. They also blocked his access to town bank accounts, records, mail and official documents, while the old council members continued collecting taxes and conducting business as usual. In an interview with CBS News, Braxton explained, “I didn’t get a chance to serve but one year out of the five years.” It later came to light that a “secret special election” had been held without public notice, during which the white council members reappointed themselves in an attempt to push out Braxton’s administration. Braxton also said that Newbern’s long-time use of the ‘hand-me-down’ system to skip elections was meant to stop Black residents from running for office, which he argued breaks the Voting Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause.

At the time, the mayor was Haywood Stokes III, succeeding his father, Haywood Stokes Jr., who had died thirteen years earlier after also serving as mayor. In response to the federal lawsuit, Stokes III (known as Woody) and his lawyers admitted to the “hand-me-down” system, acknowledging that the town had gone years without a proper election. However, they denied any racism, discrimination or conspiracy to keep Black residents out of office. Woody argued instead that Braxton was ineligible to serve because he lived outside the city limits. That claim had some weight, since Braxton maintained two residences: one inside town, which he rented, and another outside the city, where his family lived. Woody further claimed he had the right to remain mayor because of a “special election” held just weeks before the official one—a meeting attended only by the old white council members, who also reappointed themselves to their council positions. But in the lawsuit, Braxton stated that neither he nor his counsel had any knowledge of such an election and insisted that, if it had taken place, it was “no good” because it was done in secrecy.

Both Braxton and Stokes had volunteered at the town’s fire station, knowing each other for more than a decade. Braxton was the only candidate to properly file the paperwork to run for mayor, and months later he was sworn into office and appointed his own city council. In a town where 85% of the residents are Black, the new all-Black council said it felt good to finally have leadership that looked like them. In June 2024, the lawsuit was settled, and Braxton was reinstated as the lawful mayor, with full access to town property, records, accounts and all the powers and privileges of the office. The town also agreed to begin holding regular municipal elections, starting that year, in compliance with state and federal law.

Braxton stated in an interview with WVTM13, “It’s what I’ve always heard and what my grandmother pushed on me: don’t let anybody stop you – because of your race, color, gender, sex, or anything else. If you believe in something, keep going.” Braxton’s ongoing story of resilience and determination in the face of discrimination and racism never stopped him from continuing to fight for what was rightfully his. Time and time again, we hear stories like his—powerful accounts of resilience against injustice that leave a lasting impact. Little does Braxton know how many young Black boys he has inspired, not only in the small town of Newbern but across the nation. For anyone facing opposition in the face of adversity, there is always a witness. That witness is every other Black and minority person watching the resilience of people who look like them, waking up each day to fight against injustice.