Joié's Blog

A Win for our Black Community

Pittsburgh native, Ed Gainey, makes history by becoming Pittsburgh’s first black mayor on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. “You made the city that I love believers and I couldn’t do it without you,” he said to a crowd of supporters gathered at the Benedum Center in Downtown. 

Gainey beat his opponent, Republican candidate Tony Moreno, by nearly 70 percent of the vote. His mission is to create a safe environment for Pittsburgh residents and provide more affordable housing. 

On Twitter he wrote:

This victory isn’t just my victory, it’s a Pittsburgh victory. This City never gave up on me, no matter how tough it got, and I will always believe in Pittsburgh. I know that we can bring this City together. Our rivers and valleys keep us apart… /1 pic.twitter.com/83edpyiEQH

— Ed Gainey (@gainey_ed) November 3, 2021

Gainey has set the bar high for the city’s black community. Pittsburgh’s population is majority white at 66.8 percent while the black population is only 23.03 percent. “We know how people have talked about Pittsburgh, how siloed it is, how segregated it is. But today, you changed that,” he said. Gainey has first-hand experience on what it’s like growing up in a low-income community here in Pittsburgh. He graduated from Peabody High school and earned his degree in business management at Morgan State University in 1994. His new role as mayor and personal testimony equips him to turn the city around.

Despite adversity, he is a walking example that minorities can overcome the odds placed against us. He gives us hope that change is possible and emphasizes the importance of voting. 

As a young black woman born and raised in Pittsburgh, I used to feel hopeless because of the lack of diversity and representation of successful black people in my city. After graduating from college, I always felt like I needed to move away to advance because I feared I would become stagnant. This election is empowering because it amplifies the voices of black people in the city. It also inspires young generations to be active in their communities to influence change.

Ed Gainey becoming mayor means creating a more diverse and equitable city, something I never thought I would say. His victory can be influential to future generations, showing them that anything is possible. Gainey could have left Pittsburgh and took his leadership skills with him. Instead, he saw the potential in the city’s gaps and decided to be active in the community and change them.

Gainey has a genuine love for Pittsburgh and wants to work with the community in a collaborative effort to make positive changes. He values unity and wants to create more opportunities for the underrepresented. He wrapped up his victory by saying, “When Pittsburgh show up, we blow up.”