PORTAGE, Mich. — It’s a first for both the city of Portage and newly-elected council member Jihan Young. She made history as the first Black woman to be elected to Portage City Council.
From watching her mother do it in Ann Arbor, to becoming an elected official herself— it’s like a dream come true for Young.
“They believed in this vision and they knew that I’m the right person for it. They knew that I was qualified, and they believed that this is where the city needed to go,” Young told FOX 17.
After being sworn in on Tuesday with fellow members, Nicole Miller, Chris Burns and Jim Pearson— Young says she is ready to get to work.
“I’m not just going to be the first Black woman to do this, but I really think about the impact that I will make on this community,” she said.
She believes her impact will start with the youth, hoping that the next generation will see they can do it too. She says her work has already inspired her eight-year-old son, who now serves on student council.
“When they begin to see themselves in their voices, and being able to see themselves and being heard in city government, that’s how you start to break those small barriers,” she explained.
With a seat at the table, she wants to improve communication between government outreach and citizens, while also addressing issues around affordable housing.
“I have reiterated that over and over again. Our city only gets better when you get involved and your voices are heard. And so, we can do this. We can move forward,” she said.
City Manager Pat McGinnis says seeing Young be sworn in was a touching moment, but a bit overdue.
“We had some good diversity on our new group coming in— both gender diversity and racial diversity that makes our leadership here in Portage look a little more like the people that elected them,” McGinnis told FOX 17.
He believes the new set of city council members is proof that Portage is progressing, and he’s excited to see what other barriers will be broken.
“Seeing the transition and seeing the openness and the readiness to be a little more progressive and a little more thoughtful and listening to the needs of the current population— I think only good things can come to Portage,” he said.
While Young is the first Black woman to have a seat at the council member table, she hopes she is not the last.