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State Capitol Building in Montgomery, Alabama, United States of America, North America

Source: John Woodworth / Getty

Alabama‘s capital city of Montgomery, known as the birthplace of the civil rights movement has elected an African-American mayor Tuesday for the first time in the city’s nearly 200-year history.

Reed defeated David Woods, a white television station owner.   He will replace the current mayor of Montgomery, Todd Strange, who chose not to run for reelection after a decade in office.

Rosa Parks On Bus

Source: Underwood Archives / Getty

STEVEN REED:  “This election has never been about me,”  “This election has never been about just my ideas. It’s been about all the hopes and dreams we have as individuals and collectively in this city.”  “Montgomery is a city with limitless potential, a city that has no limits outside of our imagination.”  “The only thing that can hold us back is our fears. When we come together there’s nothing that we can’t accomplish. ”

DAVID WOODS (the loser): “We’re just going to go forward and try to support Steven Reed as mayor. And I just want to encourage everyone to try to continue to work together to bring Montgomery as a unified city. A unified Montgomery is a lot stronger than a divided Montgomery.”