Tracye Whitfield smiles from the podium as she is nominated by her peers to serve as City Council president.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — The City of Firsts again earned its moniker on Jan. 5 when the City Council elected Tracye Whitfield to serve as its president, the first Black woman to do so.
The crowd that turned out to see Whitfield sworn in filled the City Council chamber to capacity and spilled out into the hallway and the adjoining room.
“This is a momentous occasion our forefathers could only dream about,” said Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Sonia Dinnall. “Tracye Whitfield is a shining example of what can happen when you believe in yourself and lead with integrity, and never back down from your goals.”Whitfield invited Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers to speak. He said, “I look forward to working with you” to ensure Springfield residents receive “the best they can from the city.” Akers said he had heard that Whitfield was overly critical of the police, but upon getting to know her, found that was “not totally true.” He said she believes in accountability and “holding people accountable doesn’t always mean opposition.” He went on to say, “I truly feel that police and politics should stay separate for obvious reasons, but on this joyous event, I put that aside. This is something that just doesn’t happen every day.”
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
For Whitfield, the swearing-in was a family affair. Her mother, Jane Maye, held the Bible Whitfield placed her right hand on during the oath of office. Maye said her daughter has had “restless days and sleepless nights trying to make Springfield a better place.” Whitfield’s daughter, Taquoya Whitfield, said her mother “didn’t take a seat at the table. She earned it.” Jelani Bland, Whitfield’s son, referred to the crowd and said, “She loves Springfield as much as y’all love her.” The father of Whitfield’s children, Jason Bland, read a poem he had written for the occasion. In it, he said, “When God took the pen to write the story of Tracye Lynn Whitfield, clearly, excellence was the moral of the story.”
The ceremony was closed out with a poem written and read by Whitfield’s friend Lynnette Johnson, titled “More Than That” because, she said, Whitfield is more than just the first Black woman president of the council.
When Whitfield spoke, she said she had reconciled old misunderstandings and was starting 2026 with a clean slate. She thanked outgoing Council President Michael Fenton for his thoroughness and his willingness to help fellow councilors. She said she was committed to “being present” because “leadership means showing up.” Whitfield announced that she would be launching a training course for new and aspiring city councilors. Her goals included streamlining residential development, limiting property tax increases, fiscal accountability and expanding economic growth. With each goal, she named a councilor to help spearhead it. When she said she would lead, “not with a vision, but with collaboration, she received a standing ovation.
Councilor Jose Delgado was elected as the council’s vice president. Meanwhile, two new councilors, Gerry Martin and Justin Hurst, joined the governing body. Hurst previously served on the council from 2013 to 2023.
