Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday that she fired police Superintendent Eddie Johnson effectively immediately, just weeks before his retirement. The incident at the center of the controversy occurred in October when Johnson was found behind the wheel of his car asleep after he pulled over near a stop sign…
Tag: Mayor
New York City to Direct Workers to Call 311 to Document Street Homelessness and Request Services
About 4,000 people in New York City are homeless on the streets. Outreach NYC, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s latest effort at combating street homelessness in the city, will direct 18,000 city workers to call 311 to report street homelessness and steer people into shelters. Street homelessness is a crisis in…
Steven Reed Sworn in as Montgomery’s First Black Mayor
Montgomery, Ala., now has its first Black mayor in history after Steven Reed was sworn into office on Tuesday morning in the city that birthed the civil rights movement. Reed was sworn into office at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre, the Montgomery Advertiser reported, because so many people wanted to…
Rapper Meek Mill and Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins Hold Philadelphia Mayor Accountable in Police Chief Search
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney initiated a call to action in September to the city’s residents to have them take part in selecting the next chief of police for the city. Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins plans to hold the mayor to his word. Rapper Meek Mill, a Philly native, followed…
Gov. Phil Murphy and Mayor Ras Baraka Announce New Plan to Replace Lead Pipes in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey has higher levels of lead in its water than Flint, Michigan did at the height of its water crisis, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest samples. This weekend, after months of slow and ineffective action, officials began a citywide effort to replace lead pipes throughout…
Black Man Killed by Police in South Bend, Pete Buttigieg Marches with Protestors
Eric Logan, a 54-year-old father, was fatally shot by an officer responding to reports of a man breaking into cars in downtown South Bend, Ind. According to authorities, Logan pulled out a knife and lunged at the officer, who shot him once in the abdomen and killed him. But there’s…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Tackles Racism, Corruption, Ends Aldermen’s Privileges on Her First Day
Lori Lightfoot made national headlines as becoming the first Black and openly gay mayor of Chicago. After she took office, Lightfoot wasted no time in tackling one of the city’s biggest issues and sources of corruption – the aldermen. The 50 aldermen who make up the Chicago City Council enjoyed…
Activist Unita Blackwell, the First Black Woman Mayor in Mississippi, Dies at 86
Civil rights activist Unita Blackwell, the first Black woman to become mayor in Mississippi, has died at age 86. Her son, Jeremiah Blackwell Jr., announced her death on Monday. She passed away at Ocean Springs Hospital in Biloxi after years of suffering from dementia. Blackwell was a native of Lula,…
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Stands Up for LGBTQ Youth, Calls for Conversion Therapy Ban
The mayor of Atlanta, Ga., is another U.S. leader fighting to protect LGBTQ people. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is asking state leaders to ban the practice and advertising of LGBTQ conversion therapy, which has been linked to increased suicide rates. Bottoms passed a resolution on Monday asking the state of…
Mayors Unite Against Discrimination
Ten mayors from around the country have united in response to the recent anti-LGBT laws passed in states such as North Carolina and Mississippi, as reported by QUEERtimes. Mayors Edwin M. Lee (D-San Francisco), Ed Murray (D- Seattle), Bill de Blasio (D-New York), Jim Kenney (D-Philadelphia), Charlie Hales (D-Portland), Libby…