David Dinkins, New York’s first Black Mayor, dies at 93

David Dinkins, who broke barriers as New York City’s first African-American Mayor, has died at the age of 93.

Dinkins died on Monday, the New York City Police Department confirmed. The department said officers were called to the former mayor’s home in the evening. Initial indications were that he died of natural causes.

His death came only weeks after the death of his wife, Joyce, who died in October at the age of 89.

Dinkins was a calm and courtly figure with a penchant for playing tennis and formal wear, and his term in office represented a dramatic shift from both his predecessor, Ed Koch, and his successor, Rudolph Giuliani – two combative and often abrasive politicians.