Poli Alert Political & Civics
Related Articles
Kim Janey made history Wednesday when she was sworn in as the first Black and first female mayor of the city of Boston.
“To think that my teenage grandsons were born at a time when there never had been a black person on our city council,” Janey said. “Today is a new day. I stand before you as the first woman and the first Black mayor of Boston — a city that I love,” Janey said
Janey promised “bold, courageous leadership” starting with a focus on recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and decreasing the achievement gap in schools and economic disparities in communities of color.
“These obstacles create an opportunity — an opportunity to come together to heal and build a more equitable city,” Janey said.
Janey said she will work with the Boston Police Department to “bring safety, healing and justice to all of our neighborhoods.”
“As we turn to the future, I am ready to lead our city to recovery, reopening and renewal,” Janey said. “To the people of Boston, I say: You have a stake in our city’s future. You have an essential part in this city’s recovery.”
Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, the first Black woman to lead the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, administered the oath of office.
“Today Kim Janey, a proud fourth-generation daughter of Roxbury, makes history as the first Black mayor and the first woman mayor in Boston,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, the first woman of color to serve on the Boston City Council and first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
After the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Mayor Marty Walsh‘s nomination to serve as Secretary of Labor on Monday, Janey became the 55th mayor of Boston shortly after Walsh’s resignation went into effect at 9 p.m. Monday.
