Wilhelmina J. Rolark was a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 politician and activist in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 She was elected as Ward 8 member of the Council of the District of Columbia

Council of the District of Columbia

The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...

 in 1976 and served four terms.

Rolark was president of The Washington Informer

Washington Informer

The Washington Informer is a weekly newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The Informer serves the African American population of the D.C. metropolitan area.-Editorial staff:* Publisher Emeritus – Dr. Calvin W...

, a weekly newspaper in Washington, D.C., founded by her husband, Calvin W. Rolark, Sr., in 1964. The paper is now published by her stepdaughter, Denise Rolark Barnes.

Political career

In 1974, after the passage of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act

District of Columbia Home Rule Act

The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is a United States federal law passed on December 24, 1973 which devolved certain congressional powers of the District of Columbia to local government, furthering District of Columbia home rule...

 created the Council of the District of Columbia

Council of the District of Columbia

The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...

, Rolark ran to be the first Ward 8 member. She lost the Democratic primary to James Coates

James Coates

James E. Coates is a Baptist minister and former Democratic politician in Washington, D.C. He was elected as one of the original members of the Council of the District of Columbia in 1974 when D.C. gained home rule. He represented Ward 8 on the council from 1975 to 1977.-References:...

 by fewer than 100 votes and later announced that she would run a write-in campaign against him in the November election. Her campaign was unsuccessful.

Rolark came back in 1976 (the first Ward 8 term after the council's creation was only two years) and defeated Coates in the primary. He in turn launched his own write-in campaign for November, which was also unsuccessful. Rolark became Ward 8 council member on January 2, 1977. She went on to be reelected in 1980, 1984, and 1988.

In 1992, former mayor Marion Barry

Marion Barry

Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, representing DC's Ward 8. Barry served as the second elected mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991, and again as the fourth mayor from 1995...

, recently released from prison, challenged Rolark in the Democratic primary and won in a 3-to-1 landslide. Rolark's time on the council came to an end on January 2, 1993, after 16 years.