Baltimore's first elected Black Mayor Kurt Schmoke

For this Black History Month fact WBAL-TV highlights a household name in Baltimore, former Mayor Kurt Schomke, a true believer in the city. 36 years ago, he became the first African American elected as Baltimore City's mayor. A well-educated man of his time, with a degree from yale. The 21-year-old Schmoke was named a Rhodes Scholar while studying at Oxford University before going on to Harvard Law School. Serving as mayor for more than a decade, he combatted drugs in the city, and worked tirelessly to decriminalize drug use. He has a love and passion for education. In 1992, then President George H. Bush awarded him the National Literacy Award for his efforts to promote adult literacy. Schmoke was dean on the Howard University School of Law and now serves as president of the University of Baltimore.