Let me thank our City Clerk, Asha Reed, and also Bill Patterson and Maximus Simmons for their tremendous service. Give them a round of applause–
[Applause]
–we have those whose shoulders we stand on and our future here today, so thank you so much.
Before I begin, let me just take a moment to thank Barbara Leslie, better known as Barb, Executive Director of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; Keith Brown, Executive-Secretary Treasurer of our Alameda Labor Council; and to my Chief of Staff, Miya Saika Chen—
[Applause]
Can I ask them to come up and just join me? They've been a rock through this entire transition period, and I just want them to be here as we talk a little bit about the future.
They've been a rock through this entire transition period, and I just want them to be here as we talk a little bit about the future.
Yes, it’s with deep gratitude, humility, and love for Oakland that I stand here before you as the newly sworn-in Mayor of the City of Oakland—
[Cheers and applause]
—that I love so much; a City that gave me hope, a Mills College education, loving and safe neighborhoods to raise my son, and the support to represent the people as your Assemblymember, State Senator, Congresswoman, and now as your Mayor.
[Cheers and applause]
And yes, today marks a new era for Oakland. Like Oakland’s gifts to me, I really want— with your help— to re-instill hope; create opportunities for our young people; ensure a safe path for our sons and daughters to have long, productive lives, and be housed or own homes in a safe, clean City. To address the moral disgrace of our unsheltered population with dignity. To support our senior citizens and our artists; and yes, to recommend solutions to make our City and its people economically healthy and vibrant.
So, to the good people of Oakland, I am honored to serve as your Mayor. Your spirit, resilience, and grit are unmatched. And I know this country and the cities very well. And I know we have been through a lot and will continue to go through our share of challenges. But what I know about Oakland is that we are a community that punches above our weight.
[Applause]
Always.
We are a city of doers, of dreamers, of entrepreneurs, of artists, of innovators. And together we’re going to do the hard work— and you know it's hard work— to put Oakland back on the right track.
On the right track.
[Applause]
So, to my family, I want to thank you for your unwavering commitment and support. I wanted a moment of personal privilege. I wanted to note that the Bible that I was just sworn in with belonged to my grandfather, an incredible man who was born two years after people in Texas found out we were free. In 1867 he was born in Galveston, Texas— that’s two years after slavery ended. His mother, my great-grandmother, was born and lived through slavery in Galveston.
Now, my grandfather graduated from Tillotson College in Austin, Texas. He spoke fluent Spanish. He became the first letter carrier in El Paso, Texas. We lived in an immigrant community near the border of Juárez, Mexico.
Juneteenth is significant, and has been for myself and many of you know that. Galveston is significant because it was two years— on Juneteenth— after 1865 when emancipation occurred. The Texans were told two years later, mind you, when the Union soldiers came to Galveston and told us that we were free— didn’t know it. So that’s Juneteenth for you: June 19th, 1865—
[Applause]
—and my grandfather was born two years later, and so we all lived together in an extended family in El Paso and in Southern California in San Fernando and Pomona.
Now my mother, and many of you knew my mother, Mildred Parish Massey
[Applause]
You know my mother, here she is.
She was one of 12 students who integrated the University of Texas at El Paso. One of the first 12, with the NAACP as a plaintiff. She became the first African American to work as a civilian at Fort Bliss Army Base. And many of you knew her, as I said, but you know what she always told me? That in spite of all of the challenges, the word “can’t” is not in the dictionary. And she made me look it up every time I said, “I can’t.” She said, “Yes, you can.” I said, “I can’t.” And she said, “It’s not in the dictionary.” That was Mildred Massie.
My father, Lt. Col. Garvin Tutt, served in the Korean War and World War II. He was in the 92nd all-Black battalion in Italy— of course it was a segregated army then— supporting the Normandy invasion. He was a proud military officer who wanted to buy a home in San Leandro. He couldn’t because he was Black. My mother tried, my dad tried several times to buy a home in San Leandro and ended up being run out of town. But guess what?
My father always gave me hope. Little did my parents know then that I would end up representing San Leandro for three decades in Congress.
[Applause]
And some of you may remember my stepmother Reiko Tutt, whom my dad married after he divorced my mother and they split up. And both of them remarried. He married her in Japan. And I had the privilege, when Reiko came back here to Oakland, to teach her English. And she was truly a second mother to me.
And so when I think about my family, I think Oakland and its beautiful diversity. Here in Oakland, I have talked to and visited with many— in living rooms, community events, at church services. Here in Oakland, I have visited many farmers markets and neighborhoods over the past many years, and especially over the last five months. Thank you, everyone, for sharing your stories and continuing to inspire and encourage me to meet this moment.
You were clear— clear about the need to transform Oakland into a safer and cleaner city.
Very clear.
[Applause]
And you were clear about wanting a government that you can trust to solve our fiscal challenges, safety, housing, and homelessness challenges. And you were 100% clear— always— about how much you love Oakland. We love life in Oakland, don’t we?
[Applause]
We love Oakland.
So over the last month, my Transition Committee has been working hard, building a team that can deliver on my 100-day plan, which is a 10-point program. So let me thank my transition team— of course, co-chairs Barb Leslie and Keith Brown, Danny Wen, our director. Thank you, Danny,
[Applause]
very much for doing the heavy lifting. Ben Rosenfield and Barbara Parker for helping to ensure a smooth, “Ready to Lead” transition into the Mayor’s Office.
And I want to thank you to Miya Saika Chen. Where is Miya?
[Applause]
—for answering the call. She knows it's a tough job, but she has already answered the call as my Chief of Staff. And to Councilmember, Mr. President Kevin Jenkins. Where is Kevin?
[Applause]
My mentor. You’ve been holding down two jobs for months now. And thank you so much for your mentorship and your advice. And thank you for your continued leadership and continued service, and I look forward to working with you now in my official capacity. And to all our phenomenal— and I mean phenomenal— City Council members. They have been so much of my life, as my mentors also. But more importantly, I just want to say to them: you are my friends, and I want to thank you. Give our Council members a round of applause.
[Applause]
Oaklanders expect and demand that we must govern in a new way. And y’all know me, right? Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
And it starts with the people. There is a saying that people closest to the challenges are the ones closest to the solutions.
Over the next 100 days, we will bring in Oaklanders from all walks of life to help inform how our government can better serve the people and usher in a new era of prosperity and progress. And I don't mean task forces that are going to continue and continue and continue. I'm talking about action plans— what we can do immediately and long-term. Y’all know me, right?
[Applause]
We will keep the public informed all along the way. Our working groups, our listening sessions, our community forums, and neighborhood meetings. You'll be getting updates of this work and it will be posted online. Our working groups range from good governance, public safety, public-private partnerships, large employers, small businesses, youth, arts, culture, economic development, tech, an interfaith advisory council, and more.
There’s no time to waste. Oaklanders deserve transparency, accountability, and results starting now.
[Applause]
And I’ve begun meeting already with county, state, and federal officials, and business and philanthropy partners to identify investments, alliances, resources, and funding streams to Oakland for homelessness, affordable housing, healthy food access, infrastructure, clean energy, economic development, arts and culture, innovation, and more.
And the response has been incredibly positive. I'm also clear-eyed that Oakland— like many cities across California and our nation— is projected to have a substantial budget shortfall over the next two years. These budget deficits didn't happen overnight, and they will require both short-term and long-term structural solutions to solve Oakland's budget challenges.
We have the best minds and the best financial advisors— and we'll have more. And with my team, I plan to immediately review areas of concern, including Oakland's expenditures and obligations, its budget assumptions, a strategy to collect money owed to the City, making sure taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently, and the impact of federal budget cuts on local Oakland programs. And I'm grateful for the perspectives of everyone. And I want to thank our City Administrator, Justin.
[Applause]
Justin, thank you very much for steadying the ship for all of us and for your advice and your leadership.
So, as your Mayor, my job is to lead our City out of a budget crisis and into a period of financial stability. Not going to be easy, but we're going to do everything we can do. Everything. And we can only do this together. If we have a strong and vibrant downtown; thriving small businesses in every single Oakland neighborhood— those that preserve the character of our great city and contribute to our vitality— and a city that welcomes investment, and also a city that values our artists and our cultural workers and our restaurants and all of that that makes Oakland, Oakland.
[Applause]
And so just thank you all for being here on my first official day as the Mayor of Oakland.
[Applause]
And I'd like to end with a quote from a very good friend of mine— the late, great Maya Angelou, whose late son was my friend Guy. Guy grew up and lived right here in Oakland. Dr. Angelou said:
“Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise
into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear.
I rise, bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave.
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise.
I rise.
I rise.”
Oakland— yes, today, what are we going to do? We rise.
Neither the Catt Center nor Iowa State University is affiliated with any individual in the Archives or any political party. Inclusion in the Archives is not an endorsement by the center or the university.