Medal, American Bicentennial Commemorative

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Currency and Exchange Media ➔ Medal, American Bicentennial Commemorative

Identifier:
159087
Date:
1971 – 1975
Current Location Status:
In Storage
Source:
Gift Of Parks, Lyman
Related Entity:
Rev. Lyman Parks (donor)
Rev. Lyman Parks was the first, and as of 2021, only African-American to be elected Mayor of Grand Rapids. Parks came to Grand Rapids in 1965 as pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at 500 James Ave. He became involved in community affairs and in 1968, one year after the race riots in Grand Rapids, Parks was elected as the first black city commissioner for the city. In 1971 he was elected mayor and held the post until 1975. He retired from the Grand Rapids church in 1986 and moved to African Methodist Church in the Chicago area until 2000. He and his wife returned to Grand Rapids to be close to his children and grandchildren. Parks passed away in 2009.