On the heels of her historic victory, Philly’s new madam mayor is taking the reins with aplomb, representing a fresh vision for the city’s leadership.
Mayor Cherelle Parker
As Philadelphia’s 100th mayor, Cherelle Parker forward—better public safety, increased clean and green initiatives, and heightened economic opportunities, just to start. But by being elected Philly’s first female mayor in its 341-year history, she’s already achieved what so many women who came before her only dreamed of. With collaboration being the cornerstone of her leadership style (her fave hashtags are #OnePhilly and #AUnitedCity), Mayor Parker may have her job cut out for her, but there’s no woman—or man—better suited to tackle this lofty challenge.
In your acceptance speech, you said, “I’m Philly-born, I’m Philly-bred, and I’ll be Philadelphian ’til I’m dead.” What is it about this city you hold so dear to your heart that you’ve dedicated your life to the betterment of it?
If you know anything about me, you know that I’m fiercely proud and I love my city. Long before becoming mayor, I would rep Philly with pride wherever I went. This city has given me everything—an education, opportunity, a career path, the chance to make something of myself, and now, the opportunity to serve Philadelphia as its first female mayor, and first Black female mayor, in its 341-year history. I'm a girl from the 1900 block of Penfield St., where no one ever dreamed I’d one day become the mayor. Yet here I am.
You’ve accomplished so many things in your life, but this one’s different. What did it feel like getting inaugurated on Jan. 2nd?
I felt an overwhelming realization and a sense of responsibility. My hope is that there are Philadelphians of every race, gender, sexual orientation and/or identity who see themselves in me. When they see me as their mayor, they believe that they can be more than maybe they thought before. Because I did not get here alone. I stood on some broad shoulders to get here—people who helped me believe I could be more than I ever thought. My grandmother and grandfather raised me and instilled in me the value of an education, encouraging me to graduate from Lincoln University; I later received a degree from the University of Pennsylvania. I learned from people like Councilmembers Augusta “Gussie” Clark and Marian Tasco, who raised me in politics and local government. Other women like Dr. Constance Clayton and PA Senator Roxanne Jones all helped pave the path for someone like me.
How will your unique approach to the office, with initiatives like intergovernmental roundtables, be transformational and help bring us together in such a time of such division?
Intergovernmental roundtables have never been done before. We’ll create and operationalize them with a focus on business, faith-based and intergovernmental efforts, whose missions will be to solicit and develop better ideas for how city hall can serve all the different constituencies and needs of our diverse city. We want everyone’s ideas for how to improve Philadelphia—and we’re going to be a government that truly listens to people.
We’re getting to know who you are as Mayor Parker, but who are you as Cherelle Parker?
I love to dance, I love to cook and I love to be with my son, Langston. He’s the center of my world. I’m making sure to make time to be Langston’s mom. Getting him to school on time, helping him with homework and trying to keep his life—and our lives—as normal as possible.
Photography by: CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
