ing ▁the ▁local ▁African - American ▁community . ▁California ▁E agle ▁readers ▁opened ▁their ▁newsp apers ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁to ▁find ▁Edd ie ▁" R och ester " ▁Anderson ▁asking ▁for ▁their ▁votes ▁for ▁Mayor ▁of ▁Central ▁Avenue . ▁ ▁From ▁his ▁headquarters ▁at ▁the ▁Dun bar ▁Hotel , ▁Anderson ▁conducted ▁his ▁campaign ▁mainly ▁based ▁on ▁real ▁issues , ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁being ▁a ▁need ▁for ▁African ▁Americans ▁to ▁serve ▁their ▁country ▁as ▁av i ators . ▁He ▁was ▁deeply ▁committed ▁to ▁this ▁issue , ▁taking ▁flying ▁less ons ▁and ▁lect uring ▁with ▁a ▁T usk eg ee ▁Institute ▁representative ▁about ▁this ▁need . ▁After ▁Anderson ▁announced ▁his ▁run ▁for ▁mayor , ▁President ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ▁also ▁addressed ▁the ▁av iation ▁issue , ▁asking ▁that ▁the ▁nation ▁commit ▁itself ▁to ▁building ▁an ▁air ▁force . ▁On ▁E lection ▁Day , ▁Anderson ▁won ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁claim ▁the ▁title . ▁ ▁Pro gression ▁of ▁race ▁relations ▁Anderson ' s ▁role ▁as ▁a ▁servant ▁was ▁common ▁for ▁black ▁leads ▁in ▁the ▁popular ▁media ▁of ▁that ▁era , ▁such ▁as ▁Eth el ▁W aters ▁in ▁Be ul ah . ▁The ▁s tere ot yp ing ▁of ▁black ▁characters ▁was ▁a ▁standard ▁practice ▁in ▁the ▁entertain ment ▁business ▁for ▁gener ations , ▁referencing ▁min st rel ▁shows , ▁where ▁white ▁actors ▁in ▁black face ▁rein for ced ▁low ▁s tere ot ypes ▁of ▁la z iness , ▁ignor ance , ▁ill iter acy ,