Boston has a new Mayor: on March 24, Kim Janey was sworn in to be the next Mayor of the city. Janey is the first Black woman to serve this position, and her appointment is the latest of a few in recent years that have broken barriers for Black women in top Massachusetts leadership positions; she follows Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts’ first Black congresswoman and member of the Boston City Council, and Kimberly Budd, who became the first Black woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court. Chief Justice Budd was the one to administer the oath of office to Acting Mayor Janey.
Kim Janey had been serving as the City Council President before automatically assuming the role of Mayor after the departure of former Mayor Marty Walsh, who was tapped as Labor Secretary in Joe Biden’s administration. She has not indicated whether she will run in the mayoral election that will take place in Boston in November. However long her tenure will be, Janey intends to work hard for her constituents, especially in the daunting task of helping Boston navigate and ultimately recover from COVID-19. Of particular concern to Janey is addressing the challenges of educating Boston’s 54,000 public school students through the pandemic, assisting struggling small businesses, and vaccinating Boston residents equitably.
Ms. Janey brings her experience as a lifelong resident of Roxbury, education advocate, and City Councillor to her new role. In response to the criticism of Boston as a city steeped in racism, she has unveiled a new campaign promoting Boston tourism. Rather than focus on traditional sites like Fenway Park and Faneuil Hall, the new campaign emphasizes Boston’s diversity by featuring its 23 neighborhoods and, in Janey’s words, “a rich array of cultural and culinary attractions.” It is safe to say that everyone who loves Boston wishes Ms. Janey the best of luck in her efforts to reopen its economy and see the city re-emerge even more welcoming and vibrant than ever.
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