Ferguson, Missouri has elected its first African-American mayor. Ms. Ella Jones also becomes the first woman elected to mayor.
The New York Times reports Jones is a Ferguson City Council member. Her election comes six years after protests erupted in the city due to the killing of teenager Michael Brown by the city’s police.
Jones and her opponent Heather Robinett platforms were both based on changes since the 2014 murder of Brown. Those platforms included a federal consent decree, a legal agreement that will lead to police department reform.
“I’ve got work to do — because when you’re an African-American woman, they require more of you than they require of my counterpart,” Jones said in a post-victory video. “I know the people in Ferguson are ready to stabilize their community, and we’re going to work together to get it done.”
Jones will follow James Knowles III who is giving up his seat as his mayor due to a term limit. He has been the mayor since 2011. Jones is also the pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She was the first Black woman elected to the City Council in 2015.
