By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

OVER-THE-RHINE - The Rev. Damon Lynch III, whose name is synonymous with the boycott and police-community relations in Cincinnati, has stepped down as president of the Cincinnati Black United Front.

Reverend Damon Lynch will no longer lead the Cincinnati Black United Front, as he renews efforts to win a seat on city council. (Steven M. Herppich/file photo)

Lynch, pastor of New Prospect Baptist Church in Over-the-Rhine, said Monday that he would pursue community projects through his ministry and gear up for another run at City Council in 2005.

Lynch, 43, ran unsuccessfully for council in November, coming in 949 votes behind the winning ninth-place finisher.

Lynch chose not to run a third time for president of the Black United Front, which elected officers last month.

Dwight Patton, an Avondale resident and former vice president of the group, has assumed the presidency.

Lynch said he would remain a supportive member of the boycott and the Black United Front.

"I've been president since day one. It was time to move on and let somebody else step up," Lynch said. "Under my tenure we accomplished a lot."

The Black United Front was formed in 2000 after several downtown restaurants closed that year during the Jazz Festival, a largely African-American event. Lynch led protests at the restaurants.

The civil rights group also sued the city for alleged racial profiling. The lawsuit led to the signing of the city's landmark collaborative agreement between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice to reform Cincinnati Police Department policies and procedures.

The Black United Front later pulled out as one of the parties in the collaborative agreement to increase its focus on the nearly 3-year-old economic boycott against the city. The boycott, believed to have deprived the city of more than $10 million, raised the national profile of Lynch and the Black United Front.

Lynch's departure, while not altogether unexpected, raises questions about the future of the organization.

Lynch was widely regarded as the voice that gave the group both street and national credibility. He was able to cultivate relationships that brought national black leaders such as Harry Belafonte, Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III to Cincinnati.

Lynch said he would now spend his time working on projects to get ex-felons back into society and the work force. He said he would also work to increase the amount of transitional housing and shelter for people in poverty.

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Email kaldridge@enquirer.com