Perry was sworn in as Hartford's 63rd mayor, formally beginning her historic tenure as the city's first Black woman mayor.
On December 7, 1987, Carrie Saxon Perry was formally sworn in as the 63rd Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, following her decisive election victory the previous month. This inauguration marked the official beginning of her historic tenure as the first African American woman to lead a major New England city.
Perry's inauguration was celebrated by civil rights advocates, community organizers, and political observers as a milestone moment, symbolizing the culmination of decades of struggle for Black political representation in Connecticut and the broader Northeast. As mayor, she immediately set to work on an agenda addressing gang violence, drug trafficking, housing insecurity, and civil rights—issues that had long affected Hartford's most vulnerable residents.
Her leadership style combined the pragmatism of her social work background with the passion of a lifelong activist. During her time in office, she became known for her willingness to take bold public stances, including advocacy for healthcare reform, drug decriminalization, the abolition of capital punishment, and LGBTQ+ equality—progressive positions that were often ahead of mainstream political consensus in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Perry would go on to serve three terms as mayor, from 1987 to 1993, leaving an indelible mark on Hartford's governance and on the national conversation about Black women's leadership in American cities.