On Tuesday, the mayoral election in Atlanta, Ga., was heralded as historic. That city, with all of its history steeped in race from the Civil War to the civil rights movement, was poised to possibly elect its first white mayor in 36 years.

Tuesday's election in York was also deemed historic with the city electing its first black mayor, ever.

"Isn't that something?" said former city Councilman Ray Crenshaw, a one-time candidate for mayor. "It's just a sign of the times."

The history-making election in York "was long overdue, that's for sure," said Lee Ann Strine, president of the York Chapter of the NAACP.

Forty years after the city was torn apart by racial violence, it had taken another step toward exorcising the demons of

Kim Bracey, elected York's first black mayor, celebrates her victory with supporters before making her acceptance speech Tuesday night. She is also only the second woman to hold the office. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS -- KATE PENN)
its past.

"I hope this will put that to rest," Crenshaw said, "and we can move on from that and be one community under God with justice for all."

And the election of Kim Bracey as York's first black mayor was only part of the story of this historic election.

County voters elected the first black judge, longtime prosecutor Chuck Patterson. He is the first black man elected to countywide office. The only other black countywide office holder was the late Prothonotary Mattie Chapman.

"For York County to elect an African-American judge speaks volumes for how far we've come as a county," Strine said.

The mayoral election attracted some national attention. The Wall Street Journal did a story about it last week, noting that other cities that had suffered racial violence in the late 1960s -- notably Detroit, Cleveland and Newark, N.J. -- had long ago elected black mayors.

"Civil-rights historians say the election is an important symbolic shift for the city," the story stated.

To voters, Bracey, a veteran of the Air Force and the city's former community development director, and Patterson, a 23-year prosecutor with the York County District Attorney's office who has taught law at York College and Penn State York, were

Mayoral candidate Kim Bracey hugs Deitra Muldrow after Muldrow's daughter, Danara, 10, got Bracey's autograph at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Tuesday, November 3, 2009. Danara and her mother drove around looking for Bracey to get the autograph because she said she was so excited about the possibility of the first black mayor. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - KATE PENN)
not symbols of racial progress. They were simply the most qualified candidates, voters said at the polls Tuesday.

"I had (Patterson) as a professor at York College, and he always struck me as an impressive person," said Angela Grayson of York Township, spending election day handing out literature for Patterson at the polls. "I think he will be an excellent judge."

Delores Moore, who cast her ballot at the Crispus Attucks Community Center Tuesday afternoon, said she didn't consider skin color when she voted.

"I don't look at it that way," she said. "Kim (Bracey) is the right person for the job."

The history of the day's events wasn't lost on voters.

"I think it is a historic day," Grayson said. "It's a big turning point."

The election of President Obama last year may have paved the way. Obama's successful candidacy boosted voter registration among blacks and injected political energy into the community.

"When President Obama got elected, it did open a lot of doors," Strine said. "In some cases -- not just in York -- President Obama's election did have some influence. His election made people think that it's probably not out of the question to elect an African-American judge. People are looking at qualifications, not at the color of the candidate's skin."

Crenshaw said, "What Obama did was break the ice. For a long time, the sense in the black community and the Hispanic community was 'what's the use?' Obama made people see it was

York Mayor John Brenner congratulates mayor-elect Kim Bracey as she heads into Sam & Tony's to make her acceptance speech Tuesday. (DAILY RECORD / SUNDAY NEWS - KATE PENN)
possible."

That's a big deal, she said, particularly in a community as tradition-bound as York.

"In York County, we've never done it that way," she said.

Crenshaw said, "I'm just glad I lived to see this happen."

Also of interest

· Check out these updated lists of pioneering York County minorities, women.

· Pioneers Kim Bracey, Chuck Patterson successfully vied for elected office.

· York's first mayor Daniel K. Noell named one of his sons, well, 'York.'