Cherelle Parker took her oath of office Tuesday, becoming Philadelphia’s first female mayor and promising “bold, transformative steps” in her inaugural address.
Parker, as part of a busy first day, signed a trio of executive orders – one of which declared a public safety emergency, a measure long sought by some anti-violence advocates.
“I want the world to know that I am fully committed to ending this sense of lawlessness, and bringing order back to our city and a sense of lawfulness,” she said during a nearly hour-long speech at the Met.
The mayor, in her newly-released 100-day action plan, pledged to develop plans around hiring more police officers and cracking down on prevalent-but-relatively-minor crimes, including car theft, shoplifting, and the use of dirt bikes and ATVs.
Parker spoke about shutting down open-air drug sales in Kensington and elsewhere, opining, “Everybody is not going to be happy when we make some of these decisions.”
One of her executive orders removes college degree requirements for any jobs where holding one is not necessary, and the third order aims to make government services more visible and responsive, according to her administration.
Parker wants to expand a commercial corridor cleaning initiative she started as a City Council member and create an easier system for residents to access programs funding home improvements.
Her plan calls for the forming of two education working groups. One would study building modernization, while the other would look into perhaps Parker’s most ambitious proposal – year-round schooling.
During her address, Parker asked those in the crowd to imagine a world where schools were open with programming for children from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week for 12 months.
“I’m not talking about incremental change,” she said. “I’m talking about bold, transformative steps, that, when people walk outside of their houses, they can touch, see and feel the results of our labor. If they don’t see it, it’s on us.”
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, a former Congresswoman and mayor from Ohio, swore in Parker, who stood alongside her son, Langston. Parker, a former Council member and state representative, defeated Republican nominee David Oh in the November general election after emerging from a crowded and competitive primary.
People crowded on a chilly January morning on North Broad Street to attend the inauguration, a lengthy proceeding that included a handful of choirs and invocations from nine members of the clergy.
Actress and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph, known for her role on the Philadelphia-based series “Abbott Elementary,” delivered a poem in honor of Parker.
“Philadelphia will echo her historic name, a testament of courage,” said Ralph, who is married to local state Sen. Vincent Hughes. “Forever a flame in the annals of time, her story will be etched.”
Other leaders elected in November also took their oaths of office, and City Council members officially elected Kenyatta Johnson, who represents parts of South and Southwest Philadelphia, as president.
Johnson was rumored to be the favorite for the position, seen as second most powerful in City Hall behind the mayor. He replaced Darrell Clarke, who did not seek reelection.
Although there is often tension between the mayor and council president, Johnson and Parker signaled that they would have a friendly relationship.
“I recognize that this moment in the history of Philadelphia is too important to squander over the politics of personalities and personal agendas,” Johnson said Tuesday.
In November 2022, a jury acquitted Johnson and his wife, Dawn Chavous, of federal corruption charges, and he addressed the case during his speech.
“Twelve men and women saw through the falsehoods,” Johnson said. Following an ovation from the audience and other elected officials, he added: “What a difference a year makes.”
