Kim Janey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Janey
Janey in 2023
Mayor of Boston
Acting March 22, 2021 – November 16, 2021
Preceded by	Marty Walsh
Succeeded by	Michelle Wu
President of the Boston City Council
In office January 2020 – January 3, 2022
Preceded by	Andrea Campbell
Succeeded by	Ed Flynn
Member of the Boston City Council from the 7th district
In office January 2018 – January 3, 2022
Preceded by	Tito Jackson
Succeeded by	Tania Fernandes Anderson
Personal details
Born	(1965-05-16) May 16, 1965 (age 60) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	1
Parent	Clifford B. Janey (father)
Education	Smith College

Kim Michelle Janey (born May 16, 1965) is an American politician and community leader. In 2021, she served as the acting mayor of Boston for eight months. This was a historic moment, as she was the first woman and the first person of color to lead the city.

Before becoming mayor, Janey was the president of the Boston City Council. She was elected to the council in 2017 to represent the 7th district, which includes the neighborhood of Roxbury. As a member of the Democratic Party, she is known for her progressive ideas, which focus on social and economic fairness.

When Mayor Marty Walsh left his job to work for the U.S. government, Janey, as City Council president, automatically became the acting mayor. She ran for mayor in the 2021 Boston mayoral election but did not win. After the election, she supported Michelle Wu, who became the next mayor.

Since leaving politics, Janey has continued to work for her community. In May 2022, she became the head of a Boston nonprofit organization called Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath), which helps people escape poverty.

Early Life and Schooling

Kim Janey was born in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Her father, Clifford B. Janey, was a teacher and school administrator. Her family has lived in Boston for six generations. Some of her ancestors escaped slavery through the Underground Railroad and settled in Boston in the 1800s.

When she was 11, Janey was part of a program to mix students from different neighborhoods to create more diverse schools. She was bused from her home in Roxbury to a school in Charlestown, Boston. Later, she attended high school in Reading, Massachusetts, through a program called METCO.

At age 16, she had a daughter. She worked a job to support her child while still going to high school. After graduating, she attended community college and later Smith College. She had to pause her studies to care for her grandfather but eventually graduated in 1994.

Career as a Community Organizer

Before entering politics, Janey worked as a community organizer. This means she helped people in her community work together to solve problems. She worked for a group called Massachusetts Advocates for Children for 17 years.

There, she focused on making education fairer for all students. She worked to help children of color, kids learning English, and students with special needs. Her goal was to close the "achievement gap," which is the difference in school success between different groups of students.

Boston City Council

Janey served on the Boston City Council from 2018 to 2022. She represented District 7, which includes Roxbury and parts of other neighborhoods. She focused on issues like social justice, education, and making sure housing was affordable for everyone.

First Term on the Council

Janey was first elected in November 2017, becoming the first woman to represent her district. On the council, she worked with other members on important issues. For example, she helped create a law to give local businesses a better chance to succeed against large chain stores.

She also looked into how the city gives out contracts for work. She found that very few contracts went to businesses owned by women or minorities. Because of her work, the city started trying to give contracts to a more diverse group of people.

Council Presidency

Janey was re-elected in 2019. In January 2020, her fellow council members chose her to be the president of the City Council. She was the second Black woman to hold this important job.

As president, she continued to work on making Boston a fairer city. She and another councilor proposed a rule to stop employers from checking a person's credit history when they apply for a job. They argued that this practice was unfair to people with lower incomes.

Acting Mayor of Boston

Janey as acting mayor in October 2021

Janey speaks with Congressman Stephen Lynch, Governor Charlie Baker, and others in March 2021

On March 22, 2021, Mayor Marty Walsh resigned to become the United States Secretary of Labor. Because Janey was the City Council president, she automatically became the acting mayor of Boston. She was sworn in on March 24, 2021. Her rise to the position was celebrated across the country as a historic moment for Boston.

As acting mayor, Janey had the powers of the mayor but could not make permanent appointments. She led the city until a new mayor was elected in November 2021.

Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic

Janey became mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic. She started a program to make sure the COVID-19 vaccine was available to everyone, especially in communities that were hit hardest by the virus.

In August 2021, she announced a city-wide ban on evictions. This meant that people could not be forced to leave their homes if they couldn't pay rent during the pandemic. She also created a fund to help homeowners who were behind on their payments.

Helping the Homeless

Janey (far right) at an October 2021 press conference with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Senator Ed Markey

Janey worked to address the large number of homeless people in an area of the city known as Mass and Cass. In October 2021, she declared homelessness a public health crisis.

Her plan involved moving people from tents on the street into homeless shelters and treatment centers. She said this was necessary for health and safety reasons. Some people supported her plan, while others worried it was unfair to the homeless.

Policing and Public Safety

In May 2021, Janey signed a law that limited the Boston Police Department's use of things like tear gas and rubber bullets during protests. A similar law had been rejected by the previous mayor.

She also had to deal with a difficult situation involving the police commissioner, Dennis White. After a report found that he had a history of unacceptable personal behavior, Janey decided to fire him. This led to a legal challenge, but the court agreed that she had the authority to make the decision.

Making Public Transit Better

During Janey's time as mayor, the city funded a program that made the MBTA Route 28 bus (pictured) free for three months.

Janey believed that public transportation should be easy and affordable for everyone. She started a pilot program that made the Route 28 bus free for three months. A pilot program is a small test to see if a new idea works.

The program was a big success. The number of people riding the bus went up by a lot. This work helped pave the way for future free bus programs in Boston, which were expanded by her successor, Mayor Michelle Wu.

Life After Politics

Janey poses with Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (left) and author Malia C. Lazu (right) in 2024

After her time as mayor and on the City Council ended, Janey did not stop working for her community. In May 2022, she became the CEO of EMPath, a nonprofit that helps families find a path out of poverty. This was the same organization that had helped her when she was a young mother.

She has also worked with The Boston Foundation to preserve historical landmarks in Boston's neighborhoods. In addition, she has taught at Harvard University and Salem State University, sharing her knowledge and experience with students.

Personal Life

Janey is African American and lives in the Roxbury neighborhood where she grew up. She had her daughter, Kimesha, when she was 16 years old. Today, she is a proud grandmother to three grandchildren.

Electoral history

City Council

2017 Boston City Council 7th district election
Candidate	Primary election		General election
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Kim Janey	1,534	25.00	4,942	55.47
Rufus J. Faulk	719	11.72	3,856	43.28
Deeqo M. Jibril	605	9.86
Domonique A. Williams	593	9.66
Charles Clemmons Muhammad	423	6.89
Roy Owens	370	6.03	29	0.33
Jose Lopez	363	5.92
Brian S. Keith	348	5.67
Hassan A. Williams	285	4.65
Joao Gomes Depina	299	4.87
Carlos Tony Henriquez	263	4.29
Angelina Magdalena Camacho	247	4.03
Steven A. Wise	64	1.04
all others	23	0.38	83	0.93
Total	6,136	100	8,910	100

write-in votes

2019 Boston City Council 7th district election
Candidate	Primary election		General election
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Kim Janey (incumbent)	2,147	69.96	3,856	74.47
Roy Owens Sr.	517	16.85	1,296	25.03
Valarie Hope Rust	381	12.42
all others	24	7.82	53	1.02
Total	3,069	100	5,178	100

write-in votes

Mayor

See also

• History of African Americans in Boston
• List of first African-American mayors

Images for kids

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  Janey and Governor Charlie Baker place a wreath to remember the Boston Marathon bombing.

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  Janey at the opening of a new playground at Pope John Paul II Park in August 2021.

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  Janey at the 2021 Roxbury Unity Parade.

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  Janey (near center) at the November 2021 opening ceremony for new bus lanes on Columbus Avenue.

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  Janey with Governor Charlie Baker at a Juneteenth celebration.

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  Janey at a Labor Day event with Senator Ed Markey (left).

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  Janey speaking during a September 2021 event at the Twelfth Baptist Church.

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  Janey's mayoral campaign logo from 2021.

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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.

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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.