Ella Jones Elected As First Black Mayor Of Ferguson

Ella Jones is also the first woman to serve as mayor of the city.

Ferguson, Missouri elected its first Black mayor this week.

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Ella Jones defeated her opponent, Heather Robinett, with 54 percent of the vote. Her win comes nearly six years after the city protested the death of Michael Brown, the Black teenager who was shot and killed by a white police officer.

"It’s just our time," Jones said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch following the election. "It's just my time to do right by the people."

In a separate interview with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, Jones spoke about her victory and getting to work as the city's new mayor.

"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. "I know the people in Ferguson are ready to stabilize their community, and we’re going to work together to get it done."

Prior to becoming mayor, Jones became the first black woman elected to the City Council in 2015. Jones ran for mayor two years later but lost to then-mmayor James Knowles III, who had been mayor since 2011.

The Post-Dispatch noted in its report that Ferguson has had an increase in Black political influence in recent years, reporting: "In 2014, there was just one black council member. Now there are four out of six, although Jones will be moving soon, of course, into the mayor’s seat."

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch