Kim Janey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kim Janey
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Janey in 2023
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| Mayor of Boston | |
| Acting March 22, 2021 – November 16, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Marty Walsh |
| Succeeded by | Michelle Wu |
| President of the Boston City Council | |
| In office January 2020 – January 3, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Andrea Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Ed Flynn |
| Member of the Boston City Council from the 7th district |
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| In office January 2018 – January 3, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Tito Jackson |
| Succeeded by | Tania Fernandes Anderson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 16, 1965 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent |
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| Education | Smith College |
Kim Michelle Janey (born May 16, 1965) is an American politician. She worked as the acting mayor of Boston for eight months in 2021. Before that, she was the president of the Boston City Council from 2020 to 2022. She also served as a member of the council from the 7th district from 2018 to 2022.
Kim Janey made history as the first woman and the first person of color to lead the city of Boston. She started her career helping communities and working for better education. She joined the Democratic Party and is known for her progressive ideas. In 2017, she successfully ran for the Boston City Council. She became the acting mayor when Marty Walsh resigned to become the United States secretary of labor. Janey ran in the 2021 Boston mayoral election but did not win. She later supported Michelle Wu, who became the next mayor.
As acting mayor, Janey worked on many important issues. She helped Boston deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. She also worked on housing, public safety, and transportation. After leaving public office, Janey became the chief executive officer of a nonprofit group called Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath). This group helps people overcome poverty. She has also taught at Harvard University and Salem State University.
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Early Life and Education
Kim M. Janey was born on May 16, 1965, in Roxbury, Boston. Her parents were Clifford B. Janey and Phyllis Janey. Her father was a school administrator. He later became a superintendent in several school districts. Kim Janey's family has lived in Boston for six generations. Some of her ancestors came to Boston after escaping to Canada through the Underground Railroad.
When she was eleven, Kim Janey attended school in Charlestown, Boston. She was bused there from Roxbury as part of a plan to desegregate schools. Later, she went to high school in Reading, Massachusetts. This was through a program that allowed city students to attend suburban schools. She had a daughter when she was 16 years old. After high school, she worked to raise her daughter. She also attended community college. She later went to Smith College and graduated in 1994.
Career as a Community Organizer
Janey started her career as a community organizer. She worked to improve education for children. She worked for groups like Parents United for Child Care. In 2001, she joined Massachusetts Advocates for Children. For about 17 years, she worked there as an activist. She focused on helping children of color, children learning English as a second language, and children with special needs. She also helped children living in poverty.
Serving on the Boston City Council
Janey was a member of the Boston City Council from 2018 to 2022. She was known as a progressive voice on the council. She represented the 7th district, which includes Roxbury and parts of the South End, Dorchester, and Fenway. Roxbury is one of Boston's less wealthy areas. As a council member, she focused on social justice and education. She supported changing how members of the Boston School Committee are chosen. She wanted them to be elected by the public, not appointed by the mayor.
First Term on the Council
Janey was first elected to the Boston City Council in November 2017. She won with 55.5 percent of the votes. When she started in January 2018, she became the first woman to represent District 7.
In 2018, Janey worked with other councilors to make it harder for large chain stores to open easily. She wanted communities to have more say. She said that communities should decide if a chain store fits their neighborhood. Janey also worked with councilor Michelle Wu. They found that only a small amount of city contracts went to businesses owned by women and minorities. This led the city to try to give contracts to more diverse businesses.
Janey also helped create a new system for awarding licenses for outdoor dining. This system created an oversight board to review applications. This made the process fairer and more transparent. She also proposed a small tax on very expensive properties. The money from this tax would go towards building affordable housing in the city.
Second Term and Council President
Janey was reelected in November 2019 with over 70% of the votes. In January 2020, her fellow councilors chose her to be the president of the City Council. She was the third woman in a row to hold this position. She was also the second black woman to be council president.
In 2021, Janey and councilor Andrea Campbell proposed a rule. It would stop employers in Boston from checking job seekers' credit scores. They argued that credit checks unfairly hurt people with lower incomes.
Acting Mayor of Boston
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On March 22, 2021, Marty Walsh resigned as mayor of Boston. He became the U.S. Secretary of Labor. As president of the City Council, Kim Janey became the acting mayor. This was according to Boston's city rules. She was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as Boston's mayor. This was a historic moment for the city.
Janey often called herself "mayor" instead of "acting mayor." She saw herself as Boston's "55th mayor." She announced on April 6, 2021, that she would run for mayor in the upcoming election. She remained acting mayor until the election in November 2021.
Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Janey became mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic in Boston. She quickly started a Vaccine Equity Grant Initiative. This program helped raise awareness and access to the COVID-19 vaccine. It focused on communities that were hit hardest by the pandemic.
In April, Janey launched the "Hope" campaign. This campaign encouraged Boston residents to get vaccinated. In August, she announced that all city employees needed to be vaccinated or get regular COVID-19 tests.
After a federal rule ended, Janey announced a city-wide eviction moratorium. This stopped landlords from evicting residents. It helped people stay in their homes during the pandemic. She also created a fund to help homeowners who were behind on their mortgage payments.
Addressing Homelessness
Janey's administration worked to help the homeless population. Especially in the Mass and Cass area. This area had many people living in tents. In October 2021, Janey declared homelessness and addiction a public health crisis. She announced plans to move people from the tents into homeless shelters and treatment centers. She signed an order to create a team to help with this effort.
Protecting the Environment
In April, Janey appointed Mariama White-Hammond as Boston's environmental chief. In October, Janey signed a new rule called the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO). This rule requires large buildings in the city to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This means they must produce no greenhouse gases.
Changes in Policing
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In April, Janey named Stephanie Everett to lead the city's new Office of Police Accountability and Transparency. This office was created to make the police department more open and responsible.
In May, Janey signed a rule that limited the Boston Police Department's use of tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets. She also directed the city to stop defending a police promotion exam that was criticized for being unfair.
Janey also worked to change how the city responds to mental health emergencies. She announced a plan for EMTs and mental health workers to respond to some 9-1-1 calls. This would happen without police involvement if there was no public safety concern.
Improving Transit
Janey supported bringing back full service to the MBTA (Boston's public transit system). In June, she announced a pilot program. It made the MBTA's Route 28 bus fare-free for three months. This program was very successful. Ridership on the bus route increased significantly. This success helped her successor, Michelle Wu, expand fare-free bus service in Boston.
Other Important Actions
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In June, Janey increased the amount of money first-time homebuyers could get from the city. She also signed an order to ensure city contractors received fair wages.
When two Latina American members of the Boston School Committee resigned, Janey promised to appoint Latina replacements. She kept this promise.
In June, Janey signed a rule that allowed a public vote on changes to the city's budget process. These changes gave the City Council more power over the city budget. Voters approved these changes in November 2021.
In September, Janey signed a rule to create a city commission on Black men and boys. This commission helps address issues affecting these groups. On October 6, Janey signed an order to change "Columbus Day" to "Indigenous Peoples' Day" in Boston.
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Mayoral Campaign
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Kim Janey announced she would run for mayor on April 6, 2021. This was her first city-wide election. As acting mayor, she had a strong advantage at first. She focused her campaign on her work as mayor. She called her platform the "HEART Agenda." This stood for housing, education, accountability, recovery/resiliency, and transportation.
Janey did not win the primary election. She finished in fourth place. This made her the first acting mayor since 1949 to lose a Boston mayoral election. After the primary, she supported Michelle Wu, who went on to win the general election.
Transition to Michelle Wu's Mayoralty
After Michelle Wu won the election, Janey helped with the transition. She served as the honorary chair of Wu's transition team. Wu became mayor on November 16, 2021. Janey attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Subsequent Work
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CEO of EMPath
In May 2022, Janey became the chief executive officer of Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath). This nonprofit group helps people move out of poverty. EMPath runs one of Massachusetts' largest family emergency shelters. Janey herself had received help from this organization when she was younger.
Other Work and Activities
In March 2022, Janey joined The Boston Foundation. She worked on a project to document and promote historical landmarks in Boston's neighborhoods with many people of color.
Janey has also been a teaching fellow at Harvard University and Salem State University. She has remained involved in politics to some extent.
Personal Life
Janey is African American. She lives in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, where she grew up. She has one daughter, Kimesha, and three grandchildren.
Awards and Recognition
In 2015, Janey received the Boston NAACP Difference Maker Award. In 2020, she received the Hubie Jones Award. In 2022, she received an honorary doctorate from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. In 2023, she and Mayor Michelle Wu received the "Champion Award" from the Boston Arts Academy Foundation.
Images for kids
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Janey in 2023
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Janey as acting mayor in October 2021
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Janey speaks with Congressman Stephen Lynch, Governor Charlie Baker, and others in March 2021
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Janey (far right) at an October 13, 2021 press conference with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Senator Ed Markey
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Janey and Governor Charlie Baker place a wreath in memorialization of the eight anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing
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Janey at the August 2021 ceremonial ribbon-cutting of a new playground at Pope John Paul II Park
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Janey at the 2021 Roxbury Unity Parade
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Janey (near center) at the November 2021 ribbon cutting ceremony for bus lanes on Columbus Avenue
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During Janey's acting mayoralty, the city funded a pilot program which made the MBTA Route 28 bus (pictured) fare-free for a three-month period
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Janey with Governor Charlie Baker at a Juneteenth celebration
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Janey attending a Labor Day event, joined by Senator Ed Markey (left)
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Mayoral campaign logo
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Janey speaking during a September 2021 event at the Twelfth Baptist Church
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Janey (right) with Boston City Councilwoman Ruthzee Louijeune (left) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (center) at a 2022 Juneteenth event
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Janey (center) with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (left) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (right) at an October 2022 event promoting federal student loan debt cancellation
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Janey (left) with Governor Maura Healey at an EMPath event in 2023
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Janey (right) with Mayor Michelle Wu in 2023
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Janey poses with Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (left) and author Malia C. Lazu (right) in 2024
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