History was made, not studied, at Career High School Wednesday as New Haven’s first female, and first female African-American, mayor took the oath of office.
Toni Harp took that oath toward the end of a two-hour, 20-minute ceremony in the auditorium at Career High, a school her late husband, architect Wendell Harp, designed.
New Haveners from all walks of life filled the hall’s 700-plus seats and lined up against all available wall space for the event, New Haven’s first transfer of mayoral power in two decades.
Harp placed her hand on a bible held by her three children, Matthew, Jamil, and Djana. “I, Toni Nathaniel Harp, solemnly swear that I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of the office of mayor to the best of my ability and according to law, and that I will at all times strive to use the power entrusted to me as such officer for the best interest of the City of New Haven, so help me God,” she declared. Retired state Supreme Court Justice Lubbie Harper, Jr., an old hand at swearing in New Haven mayors at Career High School, administered the oath.
She thus became the city’s 50th mayor.
Paul Bass Photo
In subsequent remarks, Harp promised to seek to retain and lure new companies to New Haven to hire local people, rebuild the Dixwell “Q” House and defunct Latino Youth Development agency, bring healthful food to New Haven’s “food deserts.” part of her speech took the form of an economic development pitch, focusing on New Haven’s strategic location and academic strengths as a lure to employers.
She also made a point of singling out Chief Dean Esserman and her support for community policing, a policy she helped bring to New Haven as an alderwoman in the early 1990s
Esserman sat alongside his former boss, Gov. (and former Stamford Mayor) Malloy, during the ceremony.
“I am delighted to report my administration will feature continuity at the highest levels of our police department. This is important because the chief and I share an ideology that puts crime prevention on equal footing with law enforcement,” Harp said. “Each of us enthusiastically embraces the concept of community policing, in which cops on the beat get to know neighborhoods and families on a personal basis, develop an ability to help residents as needed, and improve their outlook and prospects if necessary.
“I have an idea about those who wind up on the wrong side of the law that, ‘there, but for the grace of a loving parent, inspiring teacher, caring member of the clergy, or someone else who got involved, could be virtually any one of us. No first grade student, when asked what he or she wants to be when grown-up, answers ‘embezzler,’ ‘drug dealer,’ or ‘murderer.’ I’m confident that the vast majority of those who commit crimes do so from desperation, not as a career destination. Each of these people has a story; no matter how heinous or deplorable a crime might be, it’s the behavior that’s reprehensible – even abhorrent – and rarely the perpetrator.”
Click here to read Harp’s full remarks, which included praise for her two predecessors, John DeStefano and John Daniels.
The bulk of the ceremony Wednesday consisted of extended prayers by representatives of New Haven’s four major religious faiths; musical performances by groups ranging from the Unity Boys Choir to Music Haven to Lisa Fluker (pictured) …
… the swearing in of a new Board of Aldermen, as well as City/Town Clerk Michael Smart …
… and remarks by a stream of top Connecticut elected officials. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who begins a tough reelection year, made a campaign pitch to the crowd without technically mentioning the campaign. New Haven Democrats provided his margin of victory in the last election; he has already begun actively courting them for his reelection drive. Wednesday he spoke of how “Democratic leadership” — i.e., including him and Toni Harp, a powerful state senator for the past 21 years and New Haven state Sen. Martin Looney — delivered a 45- cent-per-hour minimum wage hike that took effect Wednesday and an expanded earned income tax credit for the working poor. “What we’ve accomplished together in this state is quite remarkable,” he said. He spoke of continuing to work together to “bring New Haven to the next level” by supporting development plans for the old Coliseum site and the train station, as well as school reform and crime reduction.
“Toni Harp didn’t need to make this run [for mayor] … but she knew her city needed her,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a former state legislator who credited her as his teacher when she served as “the conscience of the Senate.”
“You can hear that glass ceiling crashing down!” declared U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro.
Clerical speakers included Pastor James Newman, Imam Abdul Hannan, Father James Manship, and Rev. Abraham Hernandez, who addressed the crowd twice from the lectern. Pastor Todd Foster invoked the Book of Esther. “Not unlike” that biblical queen, Toni Harp found the “right time” to enter “the palace” in order to “achieve her purpose,” Foster said. Rabbi Joshua Ratner invoked a different biblical leader, Deborah, the Israelites’ first female leader. She “led her people from a time of deep unrest and uncertainty to prosperity,” Ratner said — suggesting Harp could do the same.
First, though, Harp may already have a sizable snow storm to address on her second day of office.
Preservationist Anstress Farwell and Yale President Peter Salovey schmoozed before the ceremony.
The dining options in the after-party in the Career cafeteria included kosher treats catered by Abel’s.
Thank you to Mayor Harp for talking about the need for local jobs. In the debates, she indicated that she would have stood up to the Board of Alders's shortsighted, job-killing policies, including throwing away free State & Federal money, scrapping development projects on State until the number of parking spaces were doubled, and selling off critical downtown public spaces to Yale for eternity. Hopefully Harp will keep her word and will be able to keep the Alders in check.
How many of Harp's new hires actually live in New Haven, though? That will be a key metric of exactly how committed Harp is to finding jobs for local residents.
Congrats to all those inaugurated, and for the great ceremony.