UNC alum Howard Lee to receive North Carolina Award for his extensive public service contributions Posted Nov 11, 2015 Just about everybody knows that Howard Lee became the first African-American to be elected mayor of a predominantly white Southern city when he claimed a surprise victory in Chapel Hill in 1969. It was a watershed moment in the town’s – and the country’s – history. Fewer people know that he was elected twice more, in landslide fashion and with little fanfare – a fact that may be even more significant. (Chapel Hill Magazine)