Alabama's capital elects its first black mayor

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The capital of Alabama has elected its first black mayor, Steven Reed.

He makes history in Montgomery, a city still coming to grips with its past.

It's where Southern delegates voted to form the Confederacy before the U.S. Civil War.

It's also where the U.S. civil rights movement was born through bus boycotts after Rosa Parks was jailed for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in 1955.

The 45-year-old Reed won out over rival David Woods in a runoff on Tuesday (October 8)

(SOUNDBITE)(English) MONTGOMERY MAYOR-ELECT, STEVEN REED, SAYING:

"This election has never been about me; this election has never been about just my ideas. It's been about all of the hopes and dreams that we have as individuals and collectively in this city. // Let the records show that this is what we can do as a community, as a city and let this go far beyond Montgomery. Let it go far beyond Alabama and let it go far beyond this nation that we made a statement here tonight and I thank all of you for being a part of that."

Reed is set to be sworn into office on November 12th at city hall.