Philadelphia’s 100th Mayor: Cherelle Parker vows to bring ‘sense of lawfulness’ as city’s first female mayor

Philadelphia makes history swearing in its 1st female Mayor

Cherelle Parker is officially the Mayor of Philadelphia after she was sworn in during an inauguration ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

PHILADELPHIA - Cherelle Parker has officially made history, becoming Philadelphia's 100th mayor and the first woman to ever take on the leadership role for the city.

A passing of the torch by the city's leadership took place Tuesday as Parker took the Oath of Office during an inauguration ceremony in front of supporters, fellow lawmakers and her community at the MET Philadelphia.

Following a morning of speeches, prayers, a choir performance, and a poem by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Parker delivered her inaugural address, vowing to make Philadelphia "the safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in the nation with economic opportunity for all."

Today, I swear an oath as Philadelphia’s 100th Mayor and the first woman to hold the office in 341 years.I do so with humility, with respect for the 99 who came before me, and with a solemn promise.We will make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in the nation with economic opportunity for all.Now, I know that's a tall order, given all the challenges that we face.
A quarter of our citizens, living in poverty.
Despite progress in lowering the number of homicides, we still have far too many senseless shootings, too much gun violence, and too many illegal guns on the streets of Philadelphia.
Neighborhoods are struggling with blight, illegal trash dumps, and nuisances that degrade neighbors’ quality of life and enjoyment of their blocks and their communities.
We have no more time for what I like to call ‘Expert Articulators of Problems’ - instead, we will be laser-focused on developing and implementing solutions to address our challenges and solve them for the People of our City.

Philadelphia's new mayor went on to say she is "fully committed to ending this sense of lawlessness, and bringing order, and a sense of lawfulness, back to our city" by enacting new approaches, initiatives and policies within her first 100 days in office.

Public safety, clean and green, housing, economic opportunity, education and roundtables were all highlighted as areas of growth in Parker's first address as mayor to the City of Philadelphia.

"One Philly, a United City. I love you Philly! Let’s get to work!" Mayor Parker concluded.

Following her inauguration, Parker will continue her first official day in office by swearing in Keven J. Bethel as Philadelphia's Police Commissioner.

She will then travel to City Hall to sign three executive orders: declaring a public safety emergency in Philadelphia, making local government "more visible, responsive and effective," and removing barriers to city employment.

Parker was elected mayor in November, promising to rein in crime during her victory speech on Election Night.

"You won't be able to go into a store and steal $499 of merchandise and think it's okay," Parker told supporters. "We have to have a sense of order."

Surrounded by family, friends and supporters, Parker called for unity and togetherness to help tackle some of the city's toughest issues.

"My message to Philadelphians from all walks of life is that if they would just give me the opportunity that I would put to great use everything inside of me - my lived experiences, my professional experience, my academic preparation - that I would put all of it to great use to work with you all to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, greenest big city in the nation with economic opportunity for all," Parker said.

Philadelphia's first black female mayor will succeed Mayor Jim Kenney, whose two terms officially ended on New Year's Eve.

In a final message to the city, Kenney said he had the "utmost confidence" in Parker.

"[She] has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to serving the people of Philadelphia time and again throughout her impressive career. Our city and its future are in great hands."