Election Day was one of breaking through barriers
A little more than eight years ago, fueled in part by a report by the esteemed UMass Boston Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, we saw a stark reality on paper:
There had never been a black woman elected to the Boston City Council until Ayanna Pressley, then an aide to U.S. Sen. John Kerry, decided to take the plunge.
It was not easy. Pressley didn’t have a flush bank account, she was a new homeowner. She prevailed because she believed in herself and how she could contribute to greater public service. And she had friends who believed in her and what she would bring to the city. She won her first try at elective office.
Other women followed suit and brought their own unique brand to their council wins. Michelle Wu became the first woman of color to serve as president of the council. Andrea Campbell and Annissa Essaibi George added their own uniqueness. As women, we rejoiced in the barriers broken and doors opened to parity for women in municipal elective office.
Political victories for women are particularly hard fought, and kudos to Ruthanne Fuller in Newton, and Yvonne Spicer, the first ever mayor of Framingham — and an AfricanAmerican woman to boot.
It is never an easy task for women to traverse race, gender, ethnicity, turf or even what I call the political caste system in Massachusetts where district councilors are at the low end of the totem pole of donations. I would like to think the fundraiser that raised $15,000 each for Lydia Edwards and Kim Janey right after the primary, with the help of men like Richard Taylor, Clayton Turnbull, Arthur Bernard, Roz Watson and me, in some small way will help change that attitude in the future.
Last night’s election in Boston hit the proverbial mother lode with the election of two strong and accomplished African-American women in Edwards and Janey. Their elections made Boston history, putting an unprecedented six women on the City Council.
All should be proud that we crossed lines to break barriers that divide us by choosing excellence rather than focusing on gender and race. We are all better served by choosing excellence.