Press Release
Statement on the Passing of Joyce Burrows Dinkins
The Community Service Society mourns the passing of Joyce Burrows Dinkins, a passionate advocate for children’s literacy programs, education and preventing child abuse, and the wife of New York City’s 106th mayor, David N. Dinkins, a CSS Honorary Life Trustee.
Within Mayor Dinkins’ circle of friends and supporters the former first lady of New York City was affectionately known simply as “Mrs. D.” She was a product of Harlem, the youngest daughter of Elaine Nelthrop Burrows and Daniel Burrows who was a political mentor to her husband and one of the first African Americans elected to the New York State Assembly in 1939. Joyce graduated from Howard University in 1953, the same year she married David, also Howard University graduate.
Coming out of college she had aspirations to be a social worker but instead took on the responsibility of raising their two children, Donna and David Jr., while working in the accounting field as her husband pursued a legal career and then local politics. She was Coordinator of Metropolitan Affairs in the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance prior to her husband’s election as mayor in 1989.
David Dinkins endured countless indignities as the city’s first Black mayor, from racist insults by rowdy off-duty NYPD police officers protesting his establishment of an All-Civilian Complaint Review Board to threats of a takeover of city spending by the State Financial Control Board to name just a few. Throughout it all, Joyce was his rock. She was the embodiment of grace, compassion and dignity.
On behalf of CSS, we extend our deepest condolences to the Mayor Dinkins and his entire family.