David Dinkins becomes NYC first African American mayor.
Dinkins was elected mayor in 1989, inheriting a city budget deficit of $500 million during a massive recession. At that time, one in four New Yorkers was classified as poor – a figure unequaled since the Depression. Dinkins focused on crime and problems of racial inequality and initiated a program called "Safe Streets, Safe City: Cops and Kids," reducing crime and expanding opportunities for New York's children. He championed issues such as drug abuse prevention, AIDS, housing and education. However, he was unable to overcome the persistent problems facing New York at the time, causing him to lose the 1993 election to Rudolph Guiliani.
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