Description:
A member of the Battle Creek City Commission from 1970 to 1981, Donald Sherrod was elected mayor in 1979 and had served as vice mayor for six years. He was credited with bringing overseas business tenants to Fort Custer Industrial Park. Known as a quiet but influential advocate for racial equality, Sherrod observed near the end of her term on the commission, "All I ever wanted to be was fair." It was not always a respected role. In the Battle Creek Enquirer 2005 monograph "Against The Grain," columnist Jim Richmond recalled that in 1980, a burning cross was extinguished in the front yard of Sherrod's Irving Park home. At the time, Sherrod had just upheld the 30-day suspension of a Battle Creek police officer accused of harassing a black man. For many years, Sherrod was employed by Battle Creek Public Schools and later served as loan officer and assistant manager for National City Bank. He died in 2000.
