Pendleton and the late Shreveport [[attorney]] Hilary Huckaby, III, formed BULL, which sued in federal court to abolish the former city commission form of municipal government. Under the five-member commission system, the council members were elected at-large. At the time, Shreveport was majority white—it became majority black in the 2000 [[census]] -- and no blacks won any of the commission positions. When an executive mayor and legislative council system was adopted in 1978, blacks began to win seats on the seven-member single-member-district council and later dominated the mayor's office as well. | Pendleton and the late Shreveport [[attorney]] Hilary Huckaby, III, formed BULL, which sued in federal court to abolish the former city commission form of municipal government. Under the five-member commission system, the council members were elected at-large. At the time, Shreveport was majority white—it became majority black in the 2000 [[census]] -- and no blacks won any of the commission positions. When an executive mayor and legislative council system was adopted in 1978, blacks began to win seats on the seven-member single-member-district council and later dominated the mayor's office as well. |