New Haven Oral History Project: John Daniels
Summary Description
John Daniels was mayor of New Haven between 1990 and 1994. He was born and raised in the city, and attended Villanova University on a football scholarship. He credits his interest in politics to two distinct events: a meeting with New Haven Mayor Dick Lee when Daniels was a senior in High School, and Daniels' volunteer work on John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1960. His political career began with a spot on the Board of Alderman, as a replacement Alderman for the 19th Ward. At that time, the 19th was the only ward represented by an African-American alderperson. Daniels served as an Alderman for 16 years, then served 10 years as State Senator, and finally 4 years as Mayor of New Haven. Daniels talks about the place of African Americans in the New Haven community, suggesting that many white people in the city are invested in keeping black people relegated to the bottom rungs of society. Even during his four years as Mayor, Daniels says, African Americans never really had control of the city. Daniels bemaons the current state of the city of New Haven, noting the lack of dissenting voices against the policies of Mayor John DeStefano, and describing what he sees as a concerted attempt to run poor Hispanics and African Americans out of the city in order to return New Haven to a white majority. Interviewer: Amos, Courtney
Category Tags
Law, Policy, and Decision-Making; Racial Justice and Racism
New Haven Neighborhood
New Haven (All)
Recommended Citation
Daniels, John, 2006 March 2. Oral Histories Documenting New Haven, Connecticut (RU 1055). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library. https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/12/resources/2867.