Sly James
| Sylvester "Sly" James, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 54th Mayor of Kansas City | |
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Assumed office May 2, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Funkhouser |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 9, 1951 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Licia Clifton-James |
| Children | Eric Malik Kyle Aja |
| Residence | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Website | www |
Sylvester "Sly" James, Jr. (born December 9, 1951), is an American politician who serves as the Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. James lives in Kansas City's Union Hill neighborhood. He was inaugurated as Mayor on May 2, 2011.
James grew up on the East side of Kansas City, at 44th Street and Montgall Avenue. He graduated from Bishop Hogan High School in 1969. There, he was the lead singer of the Amelia Earhart Memorial Flying Band (later renamed Manchester Trafficway) from 1965 to 1970. The band was the opening act for Jefferson Airplane when it performed in Kansas City.
In 1971 James joined the Marines and served as a military policeman in California, Japan, and the Philippines; he was honorably discharged in 1975.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Rockhurst College in 1980, graduating cum laude. In college, he joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Thereafter, he attended law school at the Syracuse University College of Law from 1980 to 1981, but then transferred to the University of Minnesota Law School, where he received a juris doctor degree in 1983, again graduating cum laude.
After law school, James returned to Kansas City and joined the law firm of Blackwell Sanders Matheny Weary & Lombardi as an associate; in 1990, he became the firm's first African-American partner. In 1993, he and Nancy Kenner left to form their own firm, Kenner & James, P.C., specializing in personal injury, medical malpractice, and nursing home negligence. In 2002 he left to start the Sly James Firm, where he continued to specialize in personal injury and other civil litigation, as well as mediation. Between 1992 and 2002, he served as a member, secretary, and later the president of the Missouri Board of Law of Examiners. In 2003 he served as president of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.
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