St. Paul, Minnesota made history on Tuesday as it swore in its all-female city council. The council, now comprised of seven women under the age of 40, with six of them being "people of color," is also entirely made up of Democrats.
During the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday evening, Democrat Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan emphasized the significance of this moment. She stated, "while this is historic, it should also simply be the way it is. The norm." Flanagan expressed her gratitude to the council members, saying, "Thank you for being change-makers. Thank you for being the road-pavers. Thank you for being the firsts. By sitting in these chairs today, you are inspiring more girls than you can ever imagine."
This marks the first time in U.S. history that a major city is being run by an all-female city council. Council member Nelsie Yang, who has represented Ward 6 since 2020, believes that this new council is "frankly, long overdue." She stated, "This is the vision I had when I first started organizing eight years ago. Change doesn't happen with the same voices at the table."
Michael J. Lansing, a historian at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, sees this new council as a turning point for St. Paul. He commented, "They're all under 40, they come from these different backgrounds, they're probably going to be in politics for a while. What do they do? What can they change? How do they see things differently?"
The council is comprised of three incumbents, Mitra Jalali, the new president of the council, Rebecca Noecker, and Nelsie Yang, along with four new members, Anika Bowie, Cheniqua Johnson, Hwa Jeong Kim, and Saura Jost. According to the New York Times, the council consists of legislative aides, community activists, nonprofit CEOs, and retired educators.
Saura Jost, a newcomer and engineer representing Ward 3, expressed her excitement about the council being predominantly comprised of "women of color." Jost, along with council members Bowie, Johnson, and Kim, formed a coalition to support each other's campaigns for the city council. She stated, "It's a small network of women, especially women of color. We all know each other. That was so great to have that support system."
Council member Noecker emphasized the importance of civil disagreement, stating, "It's going to be important to learn how to disagree civilly. We're not going to agree on everything. That's the point." Anika Bowie, who now represents Ward 1, expressed her excitement about the future dynamics of the council, saying, "I'm excited to see how we dance together." Bowie acknowledged that there will be disagreements but hopes that they are "righteous fights."
The inauguration ceremony also featured performances by the Capital City Wind Ensemble, spoken word artist Muna Abdulahi, the Blazing Sapphire Hmong dance team, a singer from Progressive Baptist Church, and color guards from the St. Paul Police and Fire Departments.
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