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 | | Michelle Wu swearing in as Boston Mayor on Nov. 16th, 2021. Photo by Chutze Chou |
Boston, MA -
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 -- Michelle Wu was officially sworn in today as the next
Mayor of the City of Boston.
 | After signing her name on the book, Michelle Wu is now formally
Mayor of Boston. (Provided by City of Boston) |
Mayor Wu, the first woman
and first person of color to be elected Mayor of Boston, took the oath of
office in the Boston City Council Chamber, just two weeks after her
history-making election.
The program began
with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Boston Public Schools student Eliana
Rivas, and Rev. Dr. Arlene O. Hall, Lead Pastor of Deliverance Temple
Worship Center, delivered the invocation. Following remarks from outgoing
Mayor Kim Janey, Judge Myong J. Joun administered the Oath of Office to Mayor Wu;
the Mayor’s husband and two sons held the Bible used for the swearing
in.
 | | Michelle Wu and politicians |
Mayor Wu was sworn
in on the Aitken Bible, the earliest complete English-language
Bible printed in America. Often known as the “Bible of the Revolution,” it
was published by Robert Aitken in 1782 and it was endorsed by the Congress
as a symbol of American ingenuity. This Bible is owned by the City of
Boston and is one of the treasures of the Boston Public Library’s
collections.
Mayor Wu offered the
following as-prepared remarks after her swearing-in:
Good afternoon Wu
Train family, we’re back together so soon! I’ve missed you over the last
two weeks.
 | | Michelle Wu, her husband and politicians. |
Thank you Mayor
Janey for your beautiful remarks and your trailblazing leadership, and
thank you Senator Warren, Senator Markey, Congresswoman Pressley, Governor
Baker, and all our colleagues in state, county, and local government for
sharing this moment.
Thank you especially
to the Boston City Council for hosting us here. President Pro Temp O’Malley,
sitting members, and incoming new Councilors-elect:
Ruthzee Louijeune,
Erin Murphy, Brian Worrell, Kendra Hicks, and Tania Fernandes Anderson — Congratulations, and I can’t wait to celebrate your
Inauguration in January!
Thank you,
Boston.
I am honored to stand
here, in this Chamber that has meant so much to me, as your next Mayor…
The first time I set
foot in Boston City Hall, I felt invisible— swallowed up by the maze of
echoing concrete hallways, intimidated by the checkpoints and looming
counters, reminded that my immigrant family tried to stay away from spaces
like these.
But our family’s
struggles brought me to an internship with Mayor Menino and his Chief of
Staff Mitch Weiss, and an unexpected full-circle journey over the last
decade.
Today I know City
Hall’s passageways and stairwells like my own home. And this space is most
special.
I learned the ropes
of city government and politics on this floor, held the gavel on this
floor,
nursed babies on
this floor, delivered paid parental leave on this floor, language access,
food justice, housing protections, climate progress, and have reveled in
the growing representation and power of our communities that our Boston
City Council continues to embody.
But since we’re here
today, I must share that the Council floor wasn’t always this way. When I
joined the Council, this space wasn’t fully accessible to everyone. The
floor that some are sitting on right now, was much lower, designed as a pit
three steps down — a striking feature part of what many or I
would call the beautiful architecture of City Hall.
Three steps
prevented Bostonians in wheelchairs and with mobility challenges from
coming down directly to testify on this floor and advocate for change.
Those three steps were a barrier between our government and the people we
are here to serve.
So we changed what
this space could be, reshaped it to be accessible for everyone, and brought
the floor level up three steps.
When we make City
Hall more accessible, we are all raised up.
When we communicate
in many languages, we all understand more.
Most of all, when we
connect the power of city government to the force of our neighborhoods and
communities, we see how much is possible for our city.
City government is
special. We are the level closest to the people, so we must do the big and
the small. Every streetlight, every pothole, every park and classroom, lays
the foundation for greater change. Not only is it possible for Boston to
deliver basic city services and generational change — it is absolutely necessary in this moment.
We’ll tackle our
biggest challenges by getting the small things right, and by getting City
Hall out of City Hall and into our neighborhoods, block by block, street by
street.
After all, Boston was
founded on a revolutionary promise: that things don’t have to be as they
always have been. That we can chart a new path for families now, and for
generations to come, grounded in justice and opportunity.
And we can take
steps to raise us all up to that promise, together.
Several weeks ago,
at Roxbury Community College, I met a young leader and student in our
community. Brandon lives in Mattapan and takes the 28 Bus to class. He
found out one day from a local business on Blue Hill Ave that the Mayor of
Boston had worked to make the 28 Bus free, and it changed his life. What
used to be a frequent headache of asking mom for $2 to get to class, opened
up into justice and opportunity.
For Brandon and for
our communities:
Our charge is to see
every person and listen.
To meet people where
they are.
To give hope. And
deliver on it.
To find joy, in the
words of the amazing Kim Janey, and spread it. Let history note not just
who she was in this office, but all she got done, and all she will continue
to do for our city.
Our charge is to
fight urgently for our future, for the young people at the Burke High
School who are here with us today, for Blaise, Cass, Ellie and Addie, for
all our kids, and their kids to come.
The first time I set
foot in Boston City Hall, I felt invisible. Today I see what’s possible in
this building, and I see all the public servants raising us up — frontline workers, first responders, teachers and bus drivers,
building inspectors, city workers. I am deeply honored to work alongside
you and I ask everyone to join me in expressing our gratitude for your
service. And I ask everyone to join us in service of our communities.
Boston, our charge
is clear. We need everyone to join us in the work of doing the big and the
small, getting City Hall out of City Hall, and embracing the possibility of
our city.
The reason to make a
Boston for everyone is because we need everyone for Boston, right now.
We have so much work
to do, and it will take all of us to get it done. So let’s get to work. (Provided by Mayor's office)
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