Boston has a new Mayor!
This City of Boston has made history once again! Kim Janey, previously the Council President, was sworn in this week as the Mayor of Boston.
She is not only the first woman Mayor the City has seen, but she is also the City’s first Black Mayor. Mayor Janey’s role as Acting Mayor comes after Mayor Walsh resigned from his role as Mayor this week, as he was confirmed as the next U.S Secretary of Labor.
A fourth-generation Roxbury resident, Mayor Janey is no stranger to creating history, as she was the first woman to represent District 7 on the City Council. During her Swearing-In Ceremony on Wednesday, Mayor Janey said, “To think that my teenage grandsons were born at a time when there had never even been a Black woman on our City Council, and today my 6 year old granddaughter Rosie and other little girls can see themselves represented in Massachusetts’ highest court, the halls of Congress and now in the 55th Mayor of Boston. Today is a new day! I stand before you as the first woman and the first Black Mayor of Boston -- the City that I love.”
During her speech, Mayor Janey addressed the current public health crisis saying, “As I assume the responsibilities of Mayor of Boston, I promise to give you bold, courageous leadership, starting with an unrelenting focus to address the impacts of COVID-19.” She continued, “Let’s be clear. The problems laid here by the pandemic were here well before COVID-19. The issues of affordable housing, fair wages, public transportation and climate change are not new. What’s different is that these problems now impact even more of us. I believe these obstacles create an opportunity — an opportunity to come together to heal and build a better and more equitable City. I am humbled and passionate about the possibilities for Boston.”
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, the first woman of color to serve on the Boston City Council, presided over the ceremony, and Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, the first Black woman to lead the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, administered the oath of office. Mayor Janey’s Swearing-In Ceremony can be viewed here.
Mayor Janey’s City Council staff is continuing to serve and represent District 7, which covers Roxbury and parts of Dorchester. District 6 City Councilor, Councilor O’Malley, representing Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury, served as the Council Vice President and is now President Pro Tempore, performing the duties of Council President.
