Heaven Sent: February 15, 1932
Heaven Bound: January 8, 2022
Life and Legacy of Henry T. Arrington Sr.
Mayor, Activist, and Political Strategist
A native son of the segregated south, Henry “Hank” Terrell
Arrington, Sr., was one of five siblings born to William and Pattie Mae
Arrington of Montgomery, Alabama, the birthplace of the civil rights movement.
His early upbringing was tainted with social injustice. Separate
schools, public water fountains, movie theaters, and hospitals were all things
he experienced. The worst of a segregated Alabama afflicted every area of his
life. Once he was stopped by a police officer for being on the wrong side of
town and with a switchblade to his neck threatened to be cut if he was ever
caught on that side of town again. He often shared the story that his father
registered to vote eighteen times before his registration was accepted and he
was allowed to vote. However, instead of feeling defeated, Henry used that
environment and its injustices as fuel and motivation to become a change
agent.
In 1947, at the age of
fifteen, he was offered a full scholarship to attend the prestigious St. Jude’s
Catholic High School in Montgomery. His class was the first African American
class to integrate the all-white school.
During his high school years, he achieved at the highest levels.
His oratorical skills in public speaking classes were unmatched by any of his
classmates, and he was ranked the number one debater on the debate team that
was designated the best in the city. According to all accounts, he was a
voracious reader and studied every subject with a passion. His intellect,
talents, desire, and work ethic propelled him to the top of his class where he
graduated as the first African American Valedictorian in that school’s
history.
Upon graduation from St. Jude’s, his heart was set upon
matriculating to Tuskegee University. However, because of family finances and
military requirements during that time, his only option was enlisting in the
United States Air Force. After serving four years in the Air Force, he enlisted
in the United States Navy where he served for fifteen years
Hank received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1969, but
before his discharge, while visiting a family friend in Suitland, Maryland, he
attended the “Poor People’s Campaign and March” in May of 1968 which was led by
Dr. Martin Luther King and Reverend Ralph Abernathy. It was an experience that
had a profound impact on him. To witness three thousand people in a protest
camp committed to economic justice and alleviating poverty amongst African
Americans was the impetus that propelled him into public service. He
subsequently moved his family from Norfolk, Virginia to Seat Pleasant, Maryland
where he immediately immersed himself in all community and political affairs.
He frequently counseled the Mayor at that time, Charles McGhee, and
subsequently received McGhee’s support to succeed him as Mayor in 1972, giving
him a platform to be a voice and to have the impact he had so yearned for since
his days as a young boy in Montgomery.
As a political operative, his accomplishments were many. He served
as municipal liaison and special advisor to Governor Marvin Mandel. In 1972, he
was elected as a George McGovern Delegate to the Democratic National Convention
held in Miami, Florida. He was completely immersed in politics at every level
and was featured most notably in Jet and Ebony Magazines. His passion and
advocacy on behalf of the minority community for parity and equity was his
purpose. Accordingly, he and Attorney Scott Livingston authored the state of
Maryland’s first minority business enterprise legislation in 1978. The Bill -
HB64 - provided for the creation of an Office of Minority Business as well as a
mandate that ten percent of all state contracts be awarded to minority
businesses. All of the aforementioned, including authorship of this
groundbreaking legislation, occurred during his tenure as the mayor of Seat
Pleasant.
While the scope of his reach was beyond the boundaries of the city,
Hank’s focus on improving the lives of its citizens never wavered. He worked
diligently with legislators and obtained an eight-hundred thousand dollar grant
to build the Seat Pleasant Community Center. During his second and final terms,
he negotiated with the well-known Beall family to purchase seventeen acres of
land on Addison Road which is home to what is now known as the Addison Road
Plaza. Upon finishing his tenure as Mayor, he took on the job of Executive
Director of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, where he served for two
legislative sessions before moving on to become the Minority Business
Development Officer at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. He was
later appointed as a commissioner to that agency by County Executive Paris Glendening
and served with distinction as its Chairman.
As a result of all the success he had developing the minority
business community, Hank was armed with a rolodex full of successful Black
businesses that would participate politically with his direction. He mastered
the utilization of that network and played a significant role in the election
of Prince George’s County’s first African American State’s Attorney, Alexander
Williams. Williams’ election was history being made but it was also the sign of
progress he was always seeking that would alleviate the hatred and bias he
first encountered in the deep south.
Hank’s partnership with States Attorney Alexander Williams
evolved and he was offered the position of Community Ombudsman in the States
Attorney’s Office where he continued to serve in that capacity under William’s
successor, State’s Attorney Jack Johnson. During that time, he was also elected
to the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee for District 23 led
by Senator Doug Peters. He served in all of those capacities until he retired
from government in 2002.
Never one to be idle or let the grass grow under his feet, after
retirement Hank established a construction company, PMA Associates, which has
designations as 8 (a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, and
MBE-DBE Certifications. Through PMA Associates, he has provided services to
government clients such as Ft. Meade, Ft. Belvoir, and the Naval Research
Laboratory. Currently, PMA is engaged in negotiations to manage the construction
of two condominium buildings in Washington DC. Always a forward thinker, his
recent focus resulted in the creation of a team that will assure completion of
these projects.
Hank accepted Christ at an early age and fulfilled his purpose. He
was preceded in death by his beloved wife, June Arrington, parents William and
Pattie Mae Arrington, Brothers William and Lawrence Arrington, and sister,
Gloria Ford Arrington. He leaves to cherish his memory, sister, Louise Thomas,
sons, Henry T. Arrington Jr. Michael E. Arrington (Debra), and Alan Arrington;
daughters Lois Gray Burnett, and Karen Arrington. Grandchildren, Andwele J.
Arrington, DiRiki J. Arrington, Daren Arrington, Ashley J. Larsen, Kristy D.
Beasley, Terell Dwayne Arrington, Alaina Arrington, Melody Mariah Arrington,
Mia Michelle Arrington. A host of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews,
cousins, relatives, and close friends.
