Mayor for Life: The Incredible Story of Marion Barry, Jr.

by Marion Barry, Omar Tyree (With)

Four-time mayor of Washington, D.C., Marion Barry, Jr. tells his shocking and courageous life story, beginning in the cotton fields in Mississippi to the executive offices of one of the most powerful cities in the world.Marion Barry fought relentlessly in his life and his career. A near-life threatening bullet wound to the chest, a survivor of cancer, allegations of drug use, political scandal—he had an incredible story to tell. This provocative, captivating narrative follows the Civil Rights activist, going back to his Mississippi roots, his Memphis upbringing, and his academic school days, up through his college years and move to Washington, D.C., where he became actively involved in Civil Rights, community activism, and bold politics.In the New York Times bestseller, Mayor for Life , Marion Barry Jr. tells all—including the story of his campaigns for mayor of Washington, his ultimate rise to power, his personal struggles and downfalls, and the night of embarrassment, followed by his term in federal prison and ultimately a victorious fourth term as mayor. From the man who, despite the setbacks, boldly served the community of Washington, DC, this is his full story of courage, empowerment, hope, tragedy, triumph, and inspiration.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 17, 2014

About the author

Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr. (born March 6, 1936) is an American politician who served as the second elected Mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991, and again as the fourth Mayor from 1995 to 1999. He has been a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, representing Washington, D.C.'s Ward 8, since 2005. A Democrat, Barry previously served two other tenures on the DC Council, as an at-large member from 1975 to 1979 and as Ward 8 representative from 1993 to 1995. In the 1960s, he was involved in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, serving as the first chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Reviews

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In short, a first person look into his own life and the politics of D.C., that lacks depth but is worth a read. I think he could have dug deeper into some of the events in his life and the tone could have been less defensive. He passed away in November 2014, and the book was completed earlier that year, so it is a very topical history of Marion Barry. The book is written in a matter-of-fact style that takes us from Marion Barry's birth to 2014. It was good to see him put his story out there for all to digest and debate as they see fit.

No matter how one feels about Marion Barry, what becomes clear is the affinity the citizens of D.C. had for their mayor. His ability to continually get elected is testimony to that attraction. He certainly was a champion of the everyday person and that accounted for much of his support and effectiveness in politics. Now the reader has a document straight from Marion Barry's mouth to help them sift through the various trials and tribulations and determine the fairness of the scandalous media accounts. Just like in life, this book will be savored by his supporters and panned by his detractors.

[RYCJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and impressive memoir. There’s so much to express about this account that I’m challenged about exactly where to start.

Midway, almost at the center of the book, was where the realization of what Mayor Barry (unsuspectingly) represents for many seeking an identity to venerate, and in some respects model.

In my own admitted ignorance I did not know the depth of the personal success stories he created, and neither did I understand the scope of the foundation he built around the Nation’s Capitol. This book provides a surprising candid look at his life and his work.

Outside of his gregarious nature and aside of his personal choices, which were hard to criticize given the “laws of physics” functioning at this optimum level, this was one of the most prolific “in rare air” stories I’ve read to date.

Amazing. An absolute must. Highly recommended.

[Johnathan Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so excellent

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having lived in the DC area & with parents & relatives there, I'm in & out of the area all the time, this book put a lot of things I was somewhat familiar with in historical context. It also gave Marion Barry's side of the story, this has been so driven by negative media coverage & investigative attack. He connects his relentless drive to serve the downtrodden residents of DC as mayor, councilman & school board president to his basic drive for civil rights that drove him as a protest organizer and SNCC leader. In fact SNCC sent him to DC when he wanted to go back to the deep South where he felt the action was. Additionally, he tells his story of how he recovered from his own personal weaknesses that led to a 6-months prison sentence. But what comes through is his abiding commitment to champion the interest of the powerless which gave him the undying love of the man on the street. As a result, the traditional politicians, even Black ones, couldn't figure out why he could keep getting elected. His political rise in DC began as the head of a non-profit focussed on creating jobs for poor Black youth & teaching them job & life skills. Throughout his tenure in DC government, he kept programs focussed on Black youth employment. Moreover, he indicates some of his biggest triumphs were in mandating Black business set-asides for government contracts, this created a whole class of Black entrepreneurship that built the Black middle class in DC. It also built his opposition from the White business class that felt he was taking money out of their pockets. It's an awesome story of one of the most misunderstood leaders of our times.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Braggy tone is set early--in the acknowledgements he addressed the co-author with "Who would have thought....that you would receive the opportunity of a lifetime?" [i.e., working with me on a book]. Right to the end Mayor Barry apparently thought really highly of himself, and the co-author didn't do much to keep him in check.

Being from the DC area, I found it interesting on one level just to rehash some of the political and economic history of the last 40 years in the region, but it's hardly an objective take. Anything that went well is all Marion -- re DC he modestly opines "I had a chance to build this place from the ground up" (p. 304) [i guess everything I remember from before his election in 1978 was an illusion].

In the first half of the book he cites repeatedly his prowess in memorizing chemical equations. He had a master's in chemistry and left doctoral program before completing dissertation, noting "I call it an ABD [all but dissertation]" [p. 44] -- maybe an editor could have let him in on the secret that everyone calls it that.

Everything that goes awry later is the fault of white people, the media (esp. Wx Post) or the federal government.

The book should come with a trigger warning for conservatives. I don't think I've voted Republican in a major race in my life, and even I was taken aback by the purity of his era-of-big-government-will-never-end mindset. I had diabetes, so we should fund a massive program of screening tests for everything, free for everybody, with no reference to what tests are recommended by those who have reviewed the costs and benefits. I care about kids, so we should write a blank check to the public school system with no evaluation of how the money gets used. People need a place to live so we should demand easier access to mortgages (no evidence he even heard about the housing bubble, wave of defaults, or potential concern that it was ever made too easy to get big mortgages).

Very eventful life to say the least, but probably more enlightening to read bios than an autobiography to understand his legacy and accomplishments.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Marion Barry attempted to explain himself. However, he seemed not to go in depth in regard to his thinking on many subjects. Many of the citizens of D.C. loved Marion Barry as their mayor. Because he championed for the people in his precinct, they faithfully supported and continually reelected him. Notwithstanding the scandals surrounding him, his supporters believed him to be an effective politian and thought he did a lot of good for the city. Others thought he was the worst thing that ever happened to the city. While the book leaves much to be desired, each reader is left to form their own conclusions about the man.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marion Barry used this memoir to set the record straight and remind everyone that he was much more than the caricature of a monkey snorting cocaine off the mayor's desk. He was a chemist who nearly studied law as he pursued his doctorate, all while being an active member of SNCC. He advocated for and provided many opportunities for African Americans while facing the storms that come with steering a large ship of municipal bureaucracy through a capitalist society. He was a human who was just as capable of making mistakes as any of us are, yet at each stage of his career, he never took his eyes off the prize. Rest in power.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message was there, so was honesty, humor, and information. I only wish that Omar Tyree did a better job of editing this book. At times there were moments of repetition and spelling erros. Also there was the overuse of "I" irked my nerve, which I hate to admit because ultimately I know Marion Barry did all that he said. I am a product of the District, had my first job in his summer youth program, and watched him work tirelessly for the underserved of Washington. The lack of editing made Mayor Barry come across arrogant.

[Greg Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some good aspects to this book, but not enough of them to redeem a 300 page exercise in self-indulgence written at a third-grade level. At times I felt sorry for Mr. Barry because he seemed unaware of how his decisions would hurt himself and the city. But nonetheless, I did get a better sense of what his priorities are, some of the challenges he faced, and the local political history of Washington D.C. So reading this book was certainly not a waste.

[Wash · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good but missing something. It certainly could have delved deeper into Mayor Barry's thoughts on his life and career. Not bad, but I wanted a better product to chronicle his legacy.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written ego-trip.

[Erica Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

enlightening

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all have a story; and if you live long your story will be full of setbacks and triumphs. But the measure of a man's life should be based on impact the he had on those around him. Marion Barry was far from perfect, but he was HUMAN. Mayor for Life leaves you understanding polarity between fearless, failure, and redemption.