Dr. Christopher Harvey is the mayor of Manor, Texas, a small city located northeast of Austin, was on a mission for information and guidance on dealing with the current Trump administration during the 2025 African American Mayors Association (AAMA) conference, held April 16-18 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Northwest, D.C.
“This is the first time I have attended this conference,” said Harvey, 47, who has led Manor since 2021. “I have received much needed information that I normally don’t get on the state or local level. There is a collegiality here because despite the different populations of the cities that we run we face the same challenges. This conference creates a space where we can talk about solutions.”
During the conference, Harvey attended workshops, receptions, social events and a luncheon on April 17 that included a tribute to the late Houston mayor and U.S. Representative Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) that was spearheaded by his Alpha Phi Alpha brothers.
While Harvey leads Manor, voted the 17th best small suburb to live in by U.S. News and World Report, he was joined by 100 of his colleagues from cities around the nation, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
One of the main activities of the conference was the election of Savannah, Georgia Mayor Van R. Johnson II as the new president of the organization replacing Steven Reed, the mayor of Montgomery, Alabama.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the president of the African American Mayors Association,” said Johnson, 56. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to advocate for the needs of our cities at the national level. Together, we will continue to address the pressing challenges facing our communities, from public safety and economic opportunity to health equity and infrastructure investment.”
Black Mayors Discuss Trump
Although the AAMA is a nonpartisan organization, there were indications that the Trump administration was on the minds of the mayors throughout this year’s three-day convening.
During the Biden administration, White House staffers, Cabinet-level officials, and other representatives, attended the AAMA conference, providing briefings and information to the members.
However, AAMA officials confirmed that no Trump administration officials addressed the conference.
On March 1, AAMA President Reed issued a statement on the organization’s approach to dealing with the new administration.
“Mayors are on the front lines of government, seeing firsthand the issues our constituents face and the policies that impact them the most,” said Reed, 51. “The AAMA remains committed to fostering partnerships that promote equity and opportunity for all, and we welcome the opportunity to engage with the Trump administration to advance these goals,” he said.
Despite the call for a working relationship with the Trump administration, some mayors did not hesitate to level criticism.
“Trump’s attack on Black leadership, I see this as a Re-Reconstruction era,” said Johnson, the organization’s newly minted president, referring to the brief period after the Civil War when Blacks had full voting rights in the South that was disrupted by racial violence afterwards. “As mayors we are uniquely positioned to organize and speak truth to power. We must always invest in our own people.”
Shirley Franklin , who served as mayor of Atlanta, Georgia from 2002-2010 and was lauded by Time magazine as one of the top five mayors in the country in 2005, and U.S. News and World Report named her one of “America’s Best Leaders,” told the Informer she is offering very specific advice to Black mayors during this time.
“They need to be true to their values and authentic in who they are and be concerned about the present and future of their cities,” Franklin, 79, said. “Black mayors need to strategize, plan and act. They need to stand strong and not compromise when it comes to solutions.”