Barry came to national prominence as mayor of the national capital , the first prominent civil rights activist to become chief executive of a major American city . He gave the presidential nomination speech for Jesse Jackson at the 1984 Democratic National Convention . His celebrity was transformed into international notoriety in January 1990 , when he was videotaped during a sting operation smoking crack cocaine and was arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) officials on drug charges . The arrest and subsequent trial precluded Barry from seeking re-election , and he served six months in a federal prison . After his release , he was elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in 1992 . He was elected again as mayor in 1994 , serving from 1995 to 1999
1984 Democratic National Convention
1984 Democratic National Convention
Marion Barry