Charles Robertson (mayor)

Charles Robertson
22nd Mayor of York, Pennsylvania
In office
1994 – January 7, 2002
Preceded by William J. Althaus
Succeeded by John S. Brenner
Personal details
Born 1934 (age 82–83)
York, Pennsylvania
Political party Democratic
Education William Penn Senior High School
Known for role in the 1969 York Race Riot
Military service
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service two, in the 1950s

Charles H. Robertson (born 1934)[1] is an American Democratic politician who served as mayor of York, Pennsylvania from 1994 to January 2002. He faced murder charges in May 2001 for a July 1969 killing, and was found not guilty in October 2002.

Early life and education

Born and raised in York, Robertson was the youngest of six boys to his parents Milford (Hap, a school janitor) and Margretta.[1][2] When Robertson was 15, his father was robbed and beaten by three black men while walking home from work, to which he attributes his early views regarding race. He graduated in 1952 from William Penn Senior High School in York and spent two years as a medic in the United States Army. Robertson began a 29-year career with the York Police Department in 1962. He regularly mentored children, and parents trusted him, which greatly helped his later involvement in politics.[1]

Political career

Robertson was elected to the school board in 1975.[1] He first ran for mayor in 1993, and was re-elected in 1997. He was running for a third term in 2001, and had won a tight race (by 48 votes) in the Democratic primary against city councilman Ray Crenshaw[3] only two days before legal charges were brought and Robertson was arrested in handcuffs.[1] Crenshaw was the first black man to have run for mayor of York.[3] Robertson did not want to withdraw from the election, though his closest political supporters convinced him to do so "for the betterment of York".[1] Fellow Democrat John S. Brenner was ultimately elected as the next mayor.

Race riot involvement

Due to its decades-later media coverage, Robertson is most known for his role in the 1969 York Race Riot, while serving as a police officer. He helped to incite the violence by shouting, "White power!" and by allegedly giving white rioters ammunition and encouraging them to, "kill as many niggers as [they] can."[4][5] He was arrested on May 17, 2001, and released on $50,000 bail.[6] On May 27, 2001, Robertson was arraigned on murder charges stemming from his involvement in the riot; he was found not guilty on October 19, 2002.[4] While he admitted that he had shouted the racial slur (calling it "a youthful incident of ingrained police racism"), he steadfastly denied all other charges against him and refused to step down while mayor.[3][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bunch, William (September 2, 2001). "Handcuffed By History". The New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  2. ↑ Allen, Kim (April 20, 2016). "Silent no more: The murder of Lillie Belle Allen". York Daily Record. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Clines, Francis X. (May 17, 2001). "Mayor Says He Expects to Be Charged in 1969 Killing". The New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  4. 1 2 "1969 Riot Investigation". York Daily Record. Archived from the original on March 21, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  5. ↑ Scolforo, Mark (August 25, 2005). "Nearly 300 get call to testify". The York Dispatch. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  6. ↑ Wakin, Daniel J. (May 18, 2001), York, Pa., Mayor Is Arrested in 1969 Racial Killing, The New York Times, retrieved December 27, 2008
  7. ↑ Longman, Jere (November 1, 2001). "A City Begins to Confront Its Racist Past". The New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
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