Lawrence D. Crawford is an American politician who served as the third African-American mayor of Saginaw, Michigan.
General Motors, the city's main employer, was facing financial difficulties; Black and Latino residents began to flee for the suburbs as the white and professional population had done in the past undermining the tax base; and the police slaying of Oliver Bruce Moorer motivated the Black population to vote and the city elected its first black majorities to the City Council and to the school board.
[3] The results were mixed as it was difficult to balance the needs of the Black and White populations while the city was in economic distress.
[6] He was succeeded by Delbert J. Schrems who was named by the City Council after winning election with the campaign slogan "Balance the Power".
[citation needed] Crawford co-founded VITEC-USA, a $150 million in sales supplier of plastic fuel tanks and systems to the automotive industry, the first manufacturing business located in the Detroit Empowerment Zone.