Massachusetts

6 of Boston's 13 City Councilors Will Be Women of Color

When the new class of Boston city councilors is sworn in, history will be made.

Six of the 13 councilors will be women of color -- the largest such representation the city has ever seen.

"Making history is nice, but I really want to make a difference," said City Councilor-elect Kim Janey.

Janey and Lydia Edwards are the newest to join the elected body after winning Tuesday night. They will sit alongside councilors Andrea Campbell, Ayanna Pressley, Annissa Essaibi-George and Michelle Wu.

It was eight years ago when Pressley was elected as the first woman of color to the council.

"We worked hard to earn the confidence of voters," said Pressley in an emailed statement. "There's no magic formula, anomaly or 'trend' here. Each of us earned our seats, and will bring our own unique lens and governance style, and the city will be our partners and the beneficiaries of this more representative Boston City Council."

"Lydia and Kim's victories were historic and well-earned," said Councilor Andrea Campbell in a statement. "They are both incredibly dedicated, hardworking women who are ready to get things done for their districts and I look forward to collaborating with them."

Long gone are the days when the city council was ruled by the "Boys' Club."

Former Councilman Mike Ross said Boston is headed in the right direction, but still has a ways to go.

"You are now starting to see the elected leadership of the city reflect the people of the city and reflect what a modern urban city should look like," said Ross.

Essaibi-George is headed into her second term.

"I never thought it was possible that I could serve on the city council, especially as an Arab," said Esaibi-George. "Some of us have children. Some of us don't ... I think that perspective and that experience is very different and very unique and very beneficial to the work we have ahead of us as a council."

Wu, the council's president, said anyone who has an idea and the drive to pursue it needs to step up and take action in local government.

"When you have people around the table who represent different views, different walks of life, different income levels, backgrounds, you have a richer conversation and you get better results," said Wu.

Terms last two years for Boston city councilors. The term starts in January.

Edwards could not be reached for comment.

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