Tony Tarzell Yarber (born April 16, 1978) is an American pastor, educator and politician in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

. He was elected as Mayor of Jackson in April 2014 from special election following the death in office of

Chokwe Lumumba Chokwe Lumumba (; August 2, 1947 – February 25, 2014) was an American attorney, activist, and politician, who was affiliated with the black nationalist organization Republic of New Afrika and served as its second vice president. He served as a ...

. A native of Jackson and experienced city councilor, Yarber is noted for his passion for youth causes, and has been described as "a consensus builder". He was succeeded as Mayor of Jackson by his predecessor's son

Chokwe Antar Lumumba Chokwe Antar Lumumba (born March 29, 1983) is an American attorney, activist, and politician serving as the List of mayors of Jackson, Mississippi, 53rd mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, the 7th consecutive African-American to hold the position. He ...

on July 3, 2017.

Career and personal life

Yarber was born in Jackson, Mississippi to George and Deloris Yarber in 1978, and grew up in the city's Westside Community. He attended

Forest Hill High School Forest Hill High School is a public high school located in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It serves students from grades 9 12, and is part of the Jackson Public School District. The current principal is Torrey Hampton. Demographics A total ...

in Jackson. Yarber received a B.S. in Elementary Education from the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

and an M.S. in Education Administration and Supervision from

Jackson State University Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a public historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is one of the largest HBCUs in the United States and the fourth largest university in Mississippi in terms of studen ...

. He has taught school and served as an elementary school principal. Yarber served as a committee member for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. He is also Pastor and Founder of the non-denominational Relevant Empowerment Church, started in 2008. He has served on the Board of Directors for Relevant Ministries. Yarber has a black belt in

ninjutsu , sometimes used interchangeably with the modern term , is the martial art strategy and tactics of unconventional warfare, guerrilla warfare and espionage purportedly practised by the ninja. ''Ninjutsu'' was a separate discipline in some tradit ...

. He is married and has three children. In August 2016, a lawsuit was filed by Yarber's former executive assistant Kimberly Bracey, who accused Yarber of firing her when she turned down his sexual advances. Yarber denied the allegations.

Civic achievements

Yarber is a founding member of Alignment Jackson, a non-profit organization for improving student achievement. He was the second Vice-President of the Mississippi Black Caucus of Locally Elected Officials.

Elected office

City Councillor

In 2009, Yarber entered city politics, running for the Jackson City Council from Ward 6. He became City Council Vice President in 2011, and President in 2012. In 2013, Yarber served as Chair of the Budget Committee and the Education/Youth Ad Hoc Committee.

Mayor

Yarber was elected Mayor of Jackson on April 22, 2014, in a runoff election against Chokwe Antar Lumumba, son of deceased former mayor

. Yarber stated that his goals as mayor would be to improve customer service for residents and to attract new business. Yarber also discussed Jackson's potential for growth as an entertainment hub, and as a "medical corridor." On May 2, 2017, Yarber was soundly defeated by

in the nine-candidate primary for the Democratic nominee for

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Jackson, receiving 5% to Lumumba's 55%.

References

External links

Office of the Mayor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yarber, Tony 1978 births African-American mayors in Mississippi Mississippi Democrats University of Southern Mississippi alumni Jackson State University alumni Living people Mississippi city council members Mayors of Jackson, Mississippi 21st-century American politicians 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American people