CHERELLE PARKER IS PHILADELPHIA’S FIRST

Philadelphia’s First Woman Mayor

Voters “showed up and showed out” for the primaries in May 2023! They did not disappoint in the municipal election on Tuesday, November 7th, 2023, confirming Cherelle Parker as Philadelphia’s first woman (and Black Woman) to be elected mayor in history. I repeat, she is the first “woman” since 1691 when Humphrey Morrey was appointed Philadelphia’s mayor!

Voting in the municipal elections is just as important, if not more important, than the presidential election! There’s a lot to be said about how the county should be run, but if we don’t have our own house in order from a local standpoint, then the presidential election is somewhat pointless. When it comes to education, fighting crime, infrastructure, and even women’s health, each state controls the narrative, not to say that these are the individuals who may one day be in power over the country.

This year’s election is one for the history books, with Cherelle Parker elected as the city’s first Black Woman to hold the position. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she graduated from Lincoln University with a BS, then obtained her master’s at the University of Pennsylvania in Public Administration. She went on to teach high school until taking a position with the city in the early 90s and has been advocating for Philadelphians ever since laying a foundation with the “Philly First Home Program,” standing up for sexual assault victims, working with local labor organizations, and the list it goes on. Parker promises better education, economics, crime, and cleanliness of the city. Let’s lift her up and hold her to that!

These are challenging times for Philadelphia. The city is plagued with crime and violence, bridges collapsing, public schools being shut down, and children displaced due to asbestos while ranking within the bottom 50% throughout the state.

We congratulate Cherelle Parker on making history and share the sentiment that many Philadelphians have. That “change is necessary!