The Washington Post reports that Marion Barry has died:
Marion Barry Jr., the Mississippi sharecropper’s son and civil rights activist who served three terms as mayor of the District of Columbia, survived a drug arrest and jail sentence, and then came back to win a fourth term as the city’s chief executive, died around midnight Saturday at United Medical Center in Washington. He was 78.
Hospital spokeswoman Natalie Williams said Mr. Barry arrived at the hospital around 12:30 a.m. and died at 1:46 a.m. He had been released from Howard University Hospital on Saturday following a brief stay. His death was announced by his family in a statement released through a spokeswoman for Mr. Barry. No cause was given, but he had suffered from many health problems over the years, including diabetes, prostate cancer and kidney ailments.
Hospital spokeswoman Natalie Williams said Mr. Barry arrived at the hospital around 12:30 a.m. and died at 1:46 a.m. He had been released from Howard University Hospital on Saturday following a brief stay. His death was announced by his family in a statement released through a spokeswoman for Mr. Barry. No cause was given, but he had suffered from many health problems over the years, including diabetes, prostate cancer and kidney ailments.
Barry was profiled by Matt Labash in 2009 in THE WEEKLY STANDARD:
In most conceptions of Washington, D.C., the city operates on Eastern Standard Time. But those who pass through Marion Barry’s orbit know there’s another zone which has nothing to do with the mean solar time of the 75th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. It’s called “Barry Time.” The former four-term mayor of D.C. will show up for speeches, meetings, and civic events whenever he damn well pleases.
This translates into many minutes, even hours, of waiting for Barry to appear. So after being slated to hang out with Barry for several days, I am surprised to receive a call from his spokesperson, Natalie Williams, two days before we’re supposed to meet.
“Mr. Barry wants to start early,” Natalie informs. “He wants you to come to church with him tomorrow.”
“Great,” I say. “What time does church start?”
“Eleven A.M.,” she says.
“Okay. And what time should I meet him before church?” I ask.
“Eleven-thirty,” she responds with complete seriousness.
Barry, now in his second postmayoral term as a councilman representing the city’s poorest ward, is these days something less than a political powerhouse, but my interest had recently been rekindled in the man universally known as one of the two or three finest crack-smoking politicians our nation has ever produced. A 1990 FBI sting yielded grainy video of Barry holding a crack pipe to his lips that was broadcast around the world (launching a booming “Bitch-set-me-up” T-shirt industry), and his name became a late-night comic’s rim shot, especially as he won one more mayoral term in 1994 after serving six months in jail.
This translates into many minutes, even hours, of waiting for Barry to appear. So after being slated to hang out with Barry for several days, I am surprised to receive a call from his spokesperson, Natalie Williams, two days before we’re supposed to meet.
“Mr. Barry wants to start early,” Natalie informs. “He wants you to come to church with him tomorrow.”
“Great,” I say. “What time does church start?”
“Eleven A.M.,” she says.
“Okay. And what time should I meet him before church?” I ask.
“Eleven-thirty,” she responds with complete seriousness.
Barry, now in his second postmayoral term as a councilman representing the city’s poorest ward, is these days something less than a political powerhouse, but my interest had recently been rekindled in the man universally known as one of the two or three finest crack-smoking politicians our nation has ever produced. A 1990 FBI sting yielded grainy video of Barry holding a crack pipe to his lips that was broadcast around the world (launching a booming “Bitch-set-me-up” T-shirt industry), and his name became a late-night comic’s rim shot, especially as he won one more mayoral term in 1994 after serving six months in jail.
Read the rest here.
