Randall Woodfin sworn in as Birmingham mayor in generational shift
Randall Woodfin, only 36 years old, was sworn in as the mayor of Birmingham in a ceremony at Linn Park downtown on the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 28, in a major generational shift in the city’s leadership.
Swept into office in October by a populist wave that toppled the administration of old-school politician and mayoral incumbent William A. Bell Sr., Woodfin took the oath of office from Circuit Court Judge Nakita Blocton on a stage constructed on the east side of city hall facing the park and continued to hit the populist notes that defined his campaign.
“This is not my inaugural,” he said to the people of the city. “This is our inaugural.”
And Woodfin said that the city hall that loomed behind the stage was “a symbol that reflects the voice of all the people.”
Several hundred Birmingham politicians, city employees and area residents turned out on a cold, crisp, cloudless day to witness the swearing in.
Woodfin is the youngest mayor in the modern history of the city, since David Fox was inaugurated in 1893.
Early in his speech, Woodfin asked the 10 members of the city council to get up from their folding chairs onstage and stand in a line behind him.
He said he wished to emphasize the fact that he and the council are committed to working together for the benefit of the city’s residents.
“We believe in our city, and we believe that city hall has something to offer you,” Woodfin said.
He told attendees that he and the council members “understand the importance of putting you first.”
Woodfin also continued to hammer home one of his primary campaign themes -- that all of the city’s 99 neighborhoods matter, not just downtown.
“Birmingham is only as strong as its lowest-quality-of-life neighborhood,” he said.
He said that, under his leadership, the city will invest in good jobs and good roads, as well as good schools “that meet the demands of the new age.”
His inauguration is “a new beginning and a new dedication within our city government,” he said.
However, Woodfin told attendees that citizens have a responsibility, as well.
“A mayor can proclaim a new spirit in the city, but only you can provide it,” he said.
He also told the residents he talked to during the campaign that they would be heard in his administration.
“You have a voice in me and a voice at city hall,” he said.
Woodfin discussed some of the key issues he raised throughout the campaign, such as crime.
“We will go to bat every day to make this city safer,” he said.
He reflected on the momentous civil rights history of Birmingham and mentioned that he had discussions recently with Martin Luther King III, as well as the son and daughters of the late civil rights giant Fred Shuttlesworth.
“The history we all stand on gives us a platform to progress our city as it's never been done,” he said.
And Woodfin said that moving the city forward will require everyone to play their part, including the business sector, nonprofits and philanthropists.
“We need everyone at the table,” he said.
He stressed that the city would stand with the school superintendent and school board in the need to invest in Birmingham's schools.
The new administration will work to help seniors, fight poverty and improve the transit system, Woodfin said.
He told the roughly 4,000 city employees -- from cops and firemen to public works employees and administrators -- that he believed in them and was committed to providing them with the “professional development” they need to properly do their jobs.
“We have to be intentional about improving the quality of life,” he said.
He also said that he would provide “servant leadership” that would be “fully centered around putting people first.”
The new mayor -- whose election drew national attention, especially from political progressives -- said nothing in his speech to dampen the hopes of supporters who believe he can bring lasting change to city government.
“You wanted a mayor with a sense of urgency that puts people first,” he said. “You have that in me.”