Photo: Getty Images
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – It was a special day for the top political figure in Boston on Thursday.
If you asked Mayor Michelle Wu what her biggest objective was, she would say it is nearly impossible to focus on just one initiative.
“If you ask any family in Boston what is the one thing they care about, it’s impossible to separate housing from transportation from your job [to] your kids’ schools.”
As Mayor Wu reached her 100th day in office on Thursday, she continues to focus on making sure the residents of Boston have their wide array of needs met. She said the City’s government will continue working in the best interest of Boston’s diverse communities.
“Our families deserve for our city government to be bold and ambitious and to tackle everything that needs energy right now,” she said. “It’s possible to do that, but I would say it’s not only possible it’s necessary in this moment.”
Read More: Sheepdog Junction: Your Stop To Train Your Dog To Herd Sheep
Mayor Wu is no stranger to the duties that come from working in City Hall. In 2013, she was the first Asian American woman to be elected into Boston City Council where she served from 2014 to 2021. She even served as council president between 2016 and 2018. During this time, the Mayor discovered there is still much progress to be made in the political landscape.
“My time in politics in Boston has been eye-opening about how many barriers are still up even to this day, but also how quickly the dynamics can change when there are more voices at the table.”
During her time on the Council, the number of women routinely increased until a majority of members were women. Wu said this progress resulted from a combination of more eager candidates vying for a spot mixed with Boston’s shifting political ecosystem that caters to younger people and people of color. However, becoming the first woman, person of color and East Asian American to serve as Boston’s Mayor presented its own unique set of challenges.
“We almost had no transition whatsoever,” she said. “It’s been a very fast 100 days.”
Coming in during a pandemic and a recent blizzard, Wu credits her team for being able to jump right in and tackle many of the issues City Council has long been working on and advocating for. She said getting the chance to finally roll up her sleeves and get to work has been incredibly liberating and inspiring.
“I’m so grateful for the team that is here in this building and we’ve continued to build because we’ve shown not only that city government can take on big challenges, but we can walk and chew gum at the same time,” Wu said. “This is what our residence and our communities deserve.”
Read More: Green Line Extension Opening Day Planned For March 21
Wu’s office has shown no sign of slowing down as they have shared several developments this week alone. On Wednesday, the Mayor announced the creation of the Office of Early Childhood, which will help parents and guardians access early childhood care and education programs in the city.
On Thursday, Wu shared that applications were open for Boston’s outdoor dining season and announced the new Office of Food Justice to help battle food insecurity and support locally grown products in the city. Wu said this is proof that her office is creating more opportunities for the city to grow.
“We’ve continued to announce the initiatives and programming and organization that will show a new way of doing things and a new focus on taking bold action,” she said. “There’s opportunity for us to make a big difference and to tackle our issues in a way that is very interconnected and very urgent.”
WBZ’s Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) spoke with Mayor Wu about this special anniversary:
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App