Black Women in Politics
Is 2017 The Year Of The Black Woman Mayor?
Across the nation, black women are taking it upon themselves to impact their communities in the most direct way possible.
The current political landscape and activism across the country has brought increased attention to the power of mayors. Voters are increasingly concerned about the issues affecting their day –to-day lives, from affordable housing and education to building economically safe communities. With the political gridlock in Washington, they recognize the power of mayors to provide the leadership needed to transform our cities.
Tomorrow, voters in New Orleans will go to the polls to vote in their city’s primary to elect their next mayor. Two of the top-polling candidates are Black women, a grassroots activist turned city council member and a former judge. These women are examples of a growing cohort of Black women seeking to change the face of leadership in our country’s largest cities.
Since 2002, ten Black women have been elected to mayoral office, with five of those women serving simultaneously from January to June 2017, the largest number to serve at one time in history.
2017 is shaping up to be the year of the Black woman mayor. This fall, eight Black women will be on the ballot in primaries or have already advanced to general elections.
Meet the women looking to change the face of city leadership this fall:
Keisha Lance Bottoms ― Atlanta, GA
Keisha Lance Bottoms has represented the council’s District 11 in southwest Atlanta since 2010. She also serves as executive director of the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority, which signed an agreement in August to sell Turner Field to Georgia State University for $30 million in a deal Bottoms said ensures the property will be redeveloped in a way that meets the needs and desires of the stadium neighborhood’s residents. On city council, Bottoms sponsored pension reform legislation championed by Reed as a way to gain control of the city’s unfunded pension liability and, thus, start rebuilding Atlanta’s depleted reserves.
Vi Lyles ― Charlotte, NC
Vi Lyles is a two term At Large Member of the Charlotte City Council and in 2015 was elected Mayor Pro Tem by her colleagues. With over 40 years of service to the City of Charlotte, beginning as analyst in the city’s budget department and ultimately serving as …
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