World of Criminal Justice on Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr.
Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr. was born on March 6, 1936, in the small town of Itta Bena, Mississippi. Barry was raised within a family of modest means, in a place where poverty was commonplace. When Barry was young, his father died, and his mother moved the family to Memphis, Tennessee, where she married a local butcher. Despite the financial and personal struggles of his early years, through hard work and dedication Barry was able to earn an undergraduate degree in chemistry from LeMoyne College in Memphis, Tennessee. He also earned a graduate degree in chemistry from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, and worked toward a doctoral degree at the University of Tennessee. His academic career was marked by his strong role as a student activist committed to fighting racial discrimination and putting an to racial segregation. Upon completion of his studies, Barry quickly became involved in working within the community in the nation's capital in the District of Columbia.
In 1971, Barry was elected to the Washington, D. C. school board. He served on the board until 1974, when he earned an at-large position as the city councillor in Washington, D. C. Barry worked on the City Council until 1978, after which he was elected to his most well-known position, mayor of Washington, D. C. Barry had several successful terms as mayor of that city, winning elections again in both 1982 and 1986. His reign as mayor, however, may be characterized as highly controversial, largely due to problems in his personal life.
Beginning in the early 1980s, Barry was involved in a widely publicized scandal, in which he was accused of using cocaine at a party held in a local nightclub. Later in the 1980s, the 51-year-old Barry was featured in the headlines again for allegedly making a visit and several phone calls to the home of a twenty-three-year-old model, Grace T. Shell. According to Shell, Barry made several unwelcome advances toward her, despite his being married. Although Barry admitted to visiting and calling the model on numerous occasions, Barry claimed to have no romantic interest in her.
While Barry was still acting as mayor of Washington, D. C., he was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine at the Vista International Hotel located in downtown Washington, D. C., on January 18, 1990. Barry's arrest occurred after the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Washington D. C. Police Department conducted a sting operation. The investigation involved a long-time female friend of Barry's luring him to her hotel room for a visit. Barry was then observed smoking crack cocaine. Despite allegations as early as 1981, Barry had always denied his use of illegal drugs. The entire incident, including the arrest, was captured on an 83-minute FBI surveillance videotape. At the close of his criminal trial on various federal drug charges, the jury convicted Barry of possession of cocaine. Consistent with that verdict, in October 1990, United States District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson sentenced Barry to a six-month term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay a $5,000 fine.
Remarkably, upon his release from prison, Barry was elected to the Washington City Council and was, again, elected to the position of mayor of Washington, D. C. in 1995. Nevertheless, Barry was subject to mounting criticism during his unprecedented fourth term as mayor. Critics were outspoken in their belief that Barry's administration had failed to accomplish its goals and led to the city's deterioration. Namely, critics pointed to the rise in unsolved murders, infant mortality, poor public roads, rampant drug addiction, impoverished families and rising AIDS statistics within Washington, D. C.
In November of 1995, while Barry was still acting as mayor, the media revealed that he had prostate cancer. At a news conference with his wife, Cora, Barry explained that he benefitted from early detection of the cancer and anticipated a full recovery. He did not run for a fifth term.
Recent Updates
June 12, 2004: Barry announced his candidacy for city council in the District of Columbia. Source: CNN.com, http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/06/12/barry.comeback.ap/index.html, June 12, 2004.
September 14, 2004: Barry won the Democratic nomination for the Ward 8 Council seat in the District of Columbia. Source: Associated Press Newswires, September 15, 2004.
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