November 28 – Randall Woodfin took the oath of office to become the 30th mayor of the city of Birmingham, and one of the youngest in history.

Woodfin, 36, was sworn in by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Nakita Blocton at a noon ceremony at downtown Birmingham’s Linn Park. The event, which took place on a gorgeous sunny day on a stage with a huge American flag as a backdrop, occurred before thousands of supporters, two former mayors, Richard Arrington and Bernard Kincaid, as well as the nine members of the Birmingham City Council.

As Woodfin took the platform for his inauguration address, he spoke words of hope and about his plans for the future of Birmingham.

“I am so honored for this moment…” said Woodfin. “I am so proud and eager to get to work.”

While he spoke of his plans to improve all of Birmingham’s 99 neighborhoods and his goal of making the city safer, Woodfin addressed the community as a whole, stating:

“… this is not my inauguration. This is our inauguration. What stands behind us is not just a building, it’s not just city hall, but it’s a symbol that reflects the voice of the people of all 23 communities and all 99 neighborhoods.”

The inauguration featured speeches by City Council President Valerie Abbot and Rev. Jon Cantelow from Sixth Avenue Baptist Church and performances by the W.E. Putnam Middle School Band and the Parker High School Choir and a song by singer-songwriter Sebastian Kole. It also included a call to action by award-winning journalist and political commentator Jeff Johnson.