James, Sly, 1951-

Sylvester "Sly" James, Jr. (born December 9, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he notably served as the 54th mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 2011 to 2019. He was the second African American to hold the office after Emanuel Cleaver.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, he graduated from Bishop Hogan High School there. In his youth, he was the lead singer of the Amelia Earhart Memorial Flying Band (later renamed Manchester Trafficway) from 1965 to 1970. 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. 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.

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