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Samantha Giffen
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Last week on February 16th, the Berry Institute of Politics welcomed Mayor Kim Janey to campus for her first visit as an inaugural Berry IOP Fellow. Kim Michelle Janey made history when she was sworn in as Boston’s first woman and first Black mayor, successfully leading the city through a multitude of unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 global pandemic. Prior to serving as mayor, Janey was elected to the Boston City Council as the first woman to represent District 7 and in 2020 was elected by her peers to serve as President of the most diverse City Council in Boston’s history. Devoting her life to public service, Janey has 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector guided by her values: the importance of education, the power of community organizing, and the fundamental principles of equity and justice.
During her visit to campus, Mayor Janey joined the Women in Politics course taught by Professor Vanessa Ruget to share her experiences as a woman with a career in politics. The class introduces students to the political, economic, and social challenges met by women worldwide and examines how these challenges can be confronted through political action. This class relies on a comparative framework to examine women’s conditions and political participation in various countries and regions throughout the world. It is designed to help students think critically about gender issues, power relations, and the multiple ways in which patriarchy manifests itself.
While on campus, Janey also hosted a meal with a small group of students to discuss politics during a pandemic. During this meal, Mayor Janey shared her experience as an elected official navigating the pandemic. After talking about her experience, the small group of students then asked questions they had for Mayor Janey, which resulted in a wonderful conversation about running for office.
In addition to this meal with a small group, Mayor Janey also hosted office hours. These meetings are an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to talk one-on-one with Kim about their experiences, career advice, assignments, and other topics they felt passionate about. Hannah Levine ‘22 was one of the people who attended these office hours and she had an amazing conversation with Janey. She said, “I feel so fortunate that I had the opportunity to sit down with Mayor Kim Janey for a one-on-one to learn about her journey and career choices. It was exciting hearing from her how she worked as an advocate with Massachusetts Advocates for Children and then decided to run for office. As a social work student with a minor in civic engagement, I share many similar interests and passions as Mayor Kim Janey and felt inspired to consider running for office as a career path.”
The Berry IOP is so grateful to have Kim Janey come to our campus and can’t wait for her to come back!
Learn more about Kim Janey, the Berry IOP Fellowship, and future events.