Steven Reed to be sworn in as Montgomery, AL's first Black Mayor

Steven Reed To Be Sworn In As Montgomery’s First Black Mayor

Montgomery, Alabama is a city with a very rich history of civil rights and conversely one marred with racism, violence, and hatred.

Today, the city begins a new chapter as Steven Reed will become the very first African-American person to be sworn in as Mayor according to WGNO.

Before taking the reigns of city, Reed was a Montgomery County probate judge who will now replace Mayor Todd Strange after he chose not to seek reelection.

Montgomery was the site of the Rosa Parks-inspired bus boycott in 1955 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, as well as the destination of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery protest marches that were met with brutal police violence and led to the Voting Rights Act.

The nation’s first memorial for more than 4,000 victims of lynchings opened there last year. About 60% of the city’s residents are black.

With all that baggage, Reed, who was born and raised in the Alabama capitol, is ready to take the city into a new era.

“We’ve been unified on the message of opportunity and creating an environment where people can live, learn and earn,” Reed said.

“We want to let everyone know that this is a new Montgomery,” Reed said. “This is a new day, and we’re going to be a great part and a great asset to this country.”

Clap for ’em!