Perry Harvey Jr., first black elected member of Tampa City Council and ILA union officer, dies

Perry C. Harvey, Jr. served as President of ILA Local 1402.Perry C. Harvey Jr., a top union official on Tampa’s docks and the first African-American elected to the Tampa City Council, died Wednesday. He was 81.
Known for his political boldness, he once was described as a headline waiting to happen.
“There’s probably never been a more fierce advocate for the African-American community,” said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who had known Mr. Harvey since the mid 1980s.
“He was vocal. He was animated. He was relentless. And he never, ever lost sight of the fact that he represented those who had never had a fair playing field,” Buckhorn said.
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