COLUMBUS, Ohio — Les Wright , the first Black woman to serve on the Columbus City Council, has died. She was 87.

Wright died in Texas on Sunday morning, surrounded by her two children, according to her family.

Wright was born in Keiser, Arkansas, during the Great Depression and moved to Columbus when she was 5 years old. She graduated from Columbus East High School in 1955.

Her career spanned 60 years, serving in different positions in Columbus Public Schools (now known as Columbus City Schools), Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric (now known as American Electric Power) and as an elected official.

During her nine years serving on the city council, Wright garnered national recognition for her work with law enforcement and juvenile courts to address school truancy. She was selected to be

See Full Page