The Nation - News from Jan. 7, 1986
The Boston City Council elected the first black president in its 166-year history, naming ward Councilor Bruce Bolling leader of the 13-member panel. Bolling ousted five-term President Joseph Tierney by a 7-6 vote on the first ballot. Tierney, an at-large councilor, had held the gavel longer than anyone in the history of the council, established in 1820. Bolling is a member of Boston’s most politically powerful black family.
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