Walsh, Janey moves mark historic moment in Boston
“Think about this: A little girl from Roxbury is about to be mayor of Boston”
— Mayor Marty Walsh “Think about this: A little boy from Dorchester is about to become the United States Labor secretary.”
— City Council President
Kim Janey It was a simple exchange between two people destined to make their mark during a historic transition for our city and the country. Yet it says so much about the progress that Boston has made in the last decade and will continue to make under acting Mayor Kim Janey.
I think most would agree that Marty Walsh came into office facing low expectations. Walsh, the son of firstgeneration Irish immigrants, had been leader of the Building Trades Council and a former state representative. Many thought his tenure would be overshadowed by his predecessor, Tom Menino, the city’s longest serving mayor. There is no doubt that Janey will face her own scrutiny, not to mention stereotyping as the city’s first Black and female mayor.
Today, as Walsh heads to Washington. there’s no question that he left his mark on Boston through an approach that favored collaboration over confrontation.
He leaves a long list of accomplishments — the city’s great bond ratings, a building boom that put people to work — things that will serve him well as the secretary of labor.
Walsh and Janey have similar life experiences. He came from a working class background, and I would also characterize the Janey family as working class professionals. Though the Janeys weren’t afforded the same opportunities as the Walshes because of deepseated racism, the family made its own opportunities and reached back to help others along the way.
Kim Janey’s life as a Black woman will surely help fill some gaps in reflecting the racial reality of Boston. She represents four generations of Janeys dedicated to public service. Many of us had hoped that her late father, Cliff, would be appointed superintendent of our schools. I believe we would have been a lot further ahead than we are now. Her uncle Dan Janey ran the campaign that elected John O’Bryant to the School Committee. Today, Boston is the only city in the commonwealth not to have an elected school committee.
Janey’s amazing life story belies so many stereotypes — which is not to say they don’t persist. I respect her resiliency and tenacity most of all. At one time a young mother at 16, Janey will have her daughter Kimesha and her youngest granddaughter Rosie see her sworn in as mayor today. Her advocacy and championing of our most vulnerable kids — both black and white — as Senior Project Director of the Massachusetts Coalition for Children’s Boston School Reform Project is another plus.
As she takes the helm of the city, Janey has already crossed turf lines — sometimes the hardest boundaries to navigate in the city. She calls herself a proud daughter of Roxbury and the South End. Today she makes Boston proud. She brings a new day — and an even better opportunity for Boston to cross more lines to fairness and equality for everyone . The pandemic has laid bare so many inequities in our city — in health care, in vaccine delivery, in access to opportunity and education. We can count on Janey to respond to these disparities in every community, including those many times left out and left behind. We can count on her lived experience to be a valuable tool in making that happen
Many are already asking Janey to run for mayor in November. There is no doubt in my mind that should she decide to enter the race, she would be a great mayor.