A farewell event for Acting Mayor Kim Janey was held at Hibernian Hall in Roxbury on November 10, where she delivered a farewell address and reflected on her service to the City of Boston as its first woman and first Black mayor.

WCVB’s Karen Ward Holmes hosted, and performances were given by singers Nia Ashleigh, Danny Rivera, and Dana Whiteside, who sang the National Anthem. Rev. Willie Bodrick delivered the invocation.

In her address, Janey spoke about how the city worked together during the pandemic and rolled out vaccines in every community, as well as enacted mask mandates and ensured homeowners, renters, and business owners were provided with resources.

“To protect the most vulnerable of our residents, particularly people within the immigrant community, we supported asylum-seekers and invested in work-readiness opportunities for Dreamers,” Janey said in her prepared remarks.

She also spoke of the JOY Agenda, which she said was created “as a strategy to heal from trauma” and brought things like public art and dace parties to neighborhoods.

She talked about Boston’s observance of Juneteenth as a holiday for the first time, as well as declaring Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the city.

“While ensuring stability in a time of crisis was a top priority, I also led Boston towards the more equitable and just city we all deserve,” Janey said.

The Boston Home Center’s first-time homebuyer program was expanded, as was down payment assistance.

“Crime is down and at its lowest in five years,” Janey said, and “we must continue to address trauma, which is often the root cause of violence.”

Janey also spoke of green jobs and equitable transportation, notably her pilot for free bus service on the route 28 bus which travels through Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury. The Supplier Diversity Program also now includes LGBTQ+ owned businesses.

Read the entire article as it originally appeared in The Mission Hill Gazette here.