Democrat Cherelle Parker, a former member of the Philadelphia City Council, has been elected the city’s next mayor.
via: Vibe
Parker as not only its 100th mayor, but also the city’s first woman and Black woman to hold the esteemed position.
On Tuesday (Nov. 7), history in Philly was made as the 51-year-old beat out Republican City Councilman David Oh. She will now succeed democratic Mayor Jim Kenney.
“That I would put to great use everything inside of me, my lived life experience, my professional experience, my academic preparation, that I would put all of it to great use and I would make Philadelphia the safest, the greenest big city in the nation with economic opportunity for all,” she stated during her victory speech.
Speaking to being a native of the City of Brotherly Love, Parker recalled her own experiences growing up in Philly.
“I was born to a single teenage mother, I was raised by my grandparents, that my grandmother collected welfare and subsidized food to take care of me,” she told her supporters. “My life is a textbook on how to turn pain into power.”
Upon her election, Parker has promised to combat Philly’s gun violence and drug issues by “hiring 300 new police officers, aggressively targeting low-level crimes, and bringing the National Guard to Kensington as part of a comprehensive approach to the opioid crisis,” according to PBS’ WHYY.
“We have to have a sense of order in our city,” she declared. “While we do that let’s understand this, zero tolerance for any misuse of authority by our law enforcement authorities.”
However, Parker has mentioned that she plans to bring back the controversial stop and frisk police tactic, that she refers to as “Terry stops.” The practice allows police officers to stop and search anyone that they feel has a “reasonable suspicion” to commit a crime. Stop and Frisk has become a controversial tactic as evidence has shown it to be unlawfully used to racially profile Black men.
As Parker hopes to restore citizens’ faith in Philly, she released a “thank you” video following her big win on X.
“Thank you, Philly!! Stay tuned for more announcements and updates coming soon right here!” she says. “Our journey doesn’t end here — it’s just the beginning of the work we’ll do together. Keep an eye on social media for exciting news to come!
Thank you, Philly!! Stay tuned for more announcements and updates coming soon right here! Our journey doesn’t end here—it’s just the beginning of the work we’ll do together. Keep an eye on social media for exciting news to come! pic.twitter.com/wfEKYFPzXY
— Cherelle Parker (@PeopleforParker) November 8, 2023
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