Black Organization for Leadership Development

James Milton Singleton (born 1931 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi), a prime mover in the New Orleans political organization BOLD (Black Organization for Leadership Development), serves on the nine-member Louisiana Gaming Commission, having been nominated for the position by Xavier University of Louisiana president Norman Francis and appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal.

Singleton is a former 24-year member of the New Orleans City Council. In last election to the body was in 1998, when he and Eddie L. Sapir edged out the Republican councilwoman, Peggy Wilson. Singleton's tenure on the council ended in 2002, when he instead unsuccessfully sought the office of mayor. The winner, Ray Nagin, immediately sought Singleton's help with managing the City's finances, an arena where Singleton was considered especially knowledgeable. Singleton and his BOLD allies, starting with BOLD co-founder Ken Carter and his daughter Karen Carter Peterson, were historically aligned in opposition to former mayor Marc Morial.

Since Morial's departure Singleton's allies have most notably been observed as opponents of the Progressive Democrats (the organization supporting William J. Jefferson and his political associates). The dynamics have meant that BOLD, although explicitly the Black Organization for Leadership Development, supports white candidates when expedient, from the BOLD perspective, for the overall good of the African-American community. Thus Singleton and BOLD have at times been sympathetic to white candidates (such as Stacy Head and Helena Moreno) when the alternative has been Jefferson or a member of the Progressive Democrats. Singleton has also been on good terms with Republicans such as Governor Jindal (who appointed Singleton to the Gaming Commission) and U.S. Representative Joseph Cao, who in 2008 thwarted Jefferson's reelection to Congress; the geographical district which Singleton represents on the Gaming Commission is congruent to Cao's 2nd congressional district of Louisiana.

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