By Maria Medina

Rev. C.H. Charlton’s office at Northeast State Technical Community College has  a calendar, a few landscape paintings, photos of family framed on a book case, and words of inspiration to remind him of “what is important” in  life .

The office window looks out over the green fields of Tennessee, where he now makes his home.

It was a long journey to get there.

Before moving to Tennessee, Charleton expanded his education with a bachelor’s in philosophy, two doctorates in theology and a degree in Clinical Christian Counseling.

And before that, Charleton served the community of Radford, becoming the first African American mayor in Southwest Virginia.

“I knew how much we had gone through as an ethnic group, and how many challenges we had faced,” says Charlton of his recognition that becoming mayor in the mid seventies could have had its obstacles.

Charlton ran for Radford city council first in 1973 when he was 32 years old. Although he wouldn’t make it that year, he learned a lesson or two from his first shot at government. One of these lessons was that wardrobe choices would have an effect on his campaign.

“You know those bell bottoms pants?” he laughs.  “They used to be in style when I was growing up… that was just me. And then of course I missed it, and the next time I ran I wore a suit.”

Bell bottom slacks didn’t hold Charlton back from being appointed to the Radford board of education that year, where his network building really started.

“Any committees that came up that the city council was doing for something on this issue or that one, I would always get on the committees. One of the reasons was because I was interested. And it built a really good network by the time I decided to run,” says Charlton.

While others who served in city government had commonly already been to college and earned their educations in politics, Charlton’s path to the political arena was a little different. He became a minister first and later recognized he could have the ability to lead the city he grew up in.

“I had gone to seminary for a while, and had done some courses at New River Community College… I didn’t have any degree or anything,” Charlton says. “I never felt threatened by that either.”

In 1974 Charlton ran for city council again, and was appointed mayor based on a vote done differently than today. The direct vote by the people was not in place yet, and Charlton was voted into position by his peers in government.

The man who cast the deciding vote for Charlton was well known Mr. Thomas Starnes, who served after Charlton as the mayor of Radford for thirty years. The two still keep in touch today and have a lasting friendship.

Charlton and Starnes ran for council at the same time. Seventeen people were running for the three seats available. Starnes cast the deciding vote that gave Charlton the title of mayor, and with the second most votes Starnes became the vice mayor.

“I think he handled the situation very well. He had the respect of the community, the respect of the employees, and so forth. I think he did a good job,” says Starnes of his experience working with Charlton.

Both Charlton and Starnes say that their friendship not only carries on into today but that at no time was there a racial barrier between the two of them. Even as soon as the voting that elected Charlton mayor of Radford concluded, Charlton invited Starnes to a gathering in his neighborhood to celebrate.

“I can remember shortly after the election, there were some people in Rev. Charlton’s neighborhood that had a party for him. They invited my wife and I and we were the only white couple there… But we felt perfectly at ease. I just never experienced any racial tension,” says Starnes.

After being elected Charlton went to a week long seminar at the University of Virginia that was, for him, a crash course in running the city, “they train you,” he says. “They give you one weeks training and it’s really valuable.” Charlton also bought himself a book on state and local governments and politics and found himself ready to take on his new title.

Charlton says he believes one of his most important contributions during his service to the city was annexation, which expanded the city’s boundaries. He says most importantly though, he really wanted “to make sure people knew that someone felt and cared for them.”

Sarah Carter, a cousin of Charlton’s, says she thinks there were a few things that led Charlton on his path to helping Radford government integrate. She believes that it starts all the way back in slavery, when the region’s treatment of African American’s was unique in comparison to the rest of Southwest Virginia.

“Some of the slave owners, they bought slaves but they weren’t rich slave owners. So they bought slaves but then a lot of the times they had to work in the fields with them,” she says. “It was just like if you were to put them in a world of their own, and then to the side, they were just different than the others,” she says, in reference to how slaves were treated by their owners.

Carter also thinks that Charlton’s being a minister first helped him. She says, “Back then, being a minister was the top, respected position… the barriers were broken when the white and black ministers really bonded together… during the ministry, and then it went into the politics.”

Carter sees the last stepping stone to Charlton’s foot in the political door as his service on the school board. “I think that anyone, African American or white, it makes sense to go those steps… It’s always wise to take those steps and have something to be grounded in,” she says.

Not only raised in the same community, Carter also made racial history by being the first African American woman to win a scholarship to Radford University. Also in their genes is an aspiration to help others, as Carter self proclaims herself the “community mutt,” working with almost programs in the area that contribute to the welfare of others.

Charlton’s desire to give back was a main component to his decision to try to become mayor, and even after all this time his values are the same. “I would love to be able to be wealthy enough to help a bunch of people, to start a foundation to help a lot of people… My heart breaks for people when I see men who have worked all their lives and their jobs fail and they have nothing,” says Charlton, who became emotional when talking about the one thing he has not been able to accomplish yet.

The political playing field took a backseat to Charlton’s religious life after his term as mayor, when he says, “God called me to preach.” He says that though he fought becoming a preacher, in the end he answered the call with an easy “Yes, sir.”

Not only does he give back with his leadership role in the church community, he is also a teacher of many courses, including reading, black studies, and humanities at Northeast State Technical Community College.

“Education gave me choices,” he said about his choice to further his education as well as to teach so that others could have those same options. “Education gives you a broader view of life and it also gives you opportunities that you wouldn’t have without it,” he says.

Charlton also finds time to write, something he says he loves to do. He has self published eight books, his favorite being The Agony and Ecstasy of the Ministry. He says there are more in the works, including a book on love and marriage because “so many people ask me for advice and wonder how I have been married 50 years.”

Today, Charlton lives with his wife who was also his childhood sweetheart. He says she is “beautiful inside and out” and has helped him through every tough time. “That’s always been one thing that’s helped me so much, is that she loved me. And I always knew no matter what I was going through and what anyone else thought, she loved me.”

Charlton’s attitude towards his many accomplishments is one of gratefulness rather than self appreciation.

“If I left this world tonight, I have no complaints,” he said.  “I have been so blessed.”