In celebration of Black History Month, a former Arlington mayor will present Counting My Blessings Feb. 23 on SE Campus.
Elzie Odom will present his memoir, Counting My Blessings, and discuss some of his life’s accomplishments.
“The presentation is commemorating Mayor Odom’s being the first African-American mayor of Arlington,” said Karen DeSimone, SE student activities administrative assistant.
Elected Arlington mayor May 3, 1997, Odom has a lengthy list of firsts on his résumé. According to the city of Arlington home page, Odom was elected the first African-American U.S. postal inspector in 1967.
“In 1990, he became the first African-American to be elected to the Arlington City Council, winning a runoff election by only 16 votes,” the site says.
The presentation will be 11:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m. in the SE Campus Ballroom.
—Amelia Smith
