Bridgeport’s history is Black – Charles Tisdale
Charles Tisdale may be best known as the director of Action for Bridgeport Community Development, but his career in Bridgeport was extensive and truly remarkable.
This week we are highlighting the History Center’s records from Charles Tisdale’s 1976 congressional campaign as well as the story of his 1983 mayoral race.
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Records of Charles Tisdale’s 1976 Congressional Campaign
In 1976, Tisdale ran a congressional campaign for the House of Representatives, making him the first African American in Connecticut to win the democratic nomination. Ultimately the race would be lost, but Charles Tisdale’s hard work caught the eye of President Jimmy Carter. Read more
1983 – the year Charlie Tisdale almost became Mayor
There was a day when turnouts for municipal election were huge, including 38 or so years ago when Charlie Tisdale became the first African American to be nominated by a major party in Bridgeport, winning a Democratic primary in September before falling short in the general election. Oh, what an election ride! Read more
On Sunday, August 25, 2019 Charles Berkley Tisdale passed away at the age of 86: