I first encountered Randy Primas in the early 1980s at a public event in Center City.
The young mayor of Camden -- the first African American to hold that office -- had just finished speaking to a room full of gray-haired white guys in suits.
Wearing a pleasantly surprised expression, one of his listeners congratulated Primas for being "very articulate," a would-be compliment that spoke volumes about the sort of expectations the proud son of East Camden had to navigate.
Only 62 when he passed away on March 1, Primas navigated those expectations with a grace that attested to the fortitude his unflappably affable demeanor belied. I never saw the armor crack, although I'm sure it could, and as I watched Primas weather criticism for his (frequently perceived, sometimes real) shortcomings over the ensuing decades, I never failed to be impressed with the man.
Melvin R. "Randy" Primas Jr. was a class act.
Needless to say I was sorry to hear the former mayor had succumbed to cancer. But the news has me reflecting upon that morning 30 years ago, when I watched a bright young black man who had made history in Camden make himself heard in Philadelphia, and beyond.