Last December’s 21st Century Neighborhoods Symposium in Baltimore kicked off with a captivating conversation among new mayors and their visions for 21st century American cities. In 2017, more than 40 new mayors took office in U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or more, bringing with them fresh ideas and renewed energy for shaping cities into hubs of opportunity, innovation, and inclusion. Many of these new mayors are also trailblazers and represent an exciting, new generation of American leadership. They include:
- Richard Irvin, the first African-American mayor in the 180-year history of Aurora, IL.
- Levar Stoney, the youngest person to be elected mayor of Richmond, VA.
- Aja Brown, who defeated the incumbent and a former mayor to become the youngest mayor of Compton, CA.
- Chokwe Antar Lumumba, who secured 93 percent of the vote on his way to becoming the youngest mayor of Jackson, MS.
This group of mayors was joined on the 21st Century Cities Initiative’s symposium stage by Lester Spence, 21CC Steering Committee member and Associate Professor of Political Science and Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University, to discuss priorities for their administrations. Dr. Spence moderated a free-flowing conversation with the four mayors that focused on economic inequality, police and community relationships, and public-private partnerships. Highlights from the conversation can be seen in the brief video recap below. To watch the full panel discussion, click here.