NEW CITY COUNCILMAN KHARI MOSLEY HUGS HIS WIFE, JUDGE CHELSA WAGNER, AFTER BEING SWORN-IN ON MONDAY, JAN. 8. MOSLEY’S SON LOOKS ON.
Mosley now represents District 9; Lavelle elected City Council president
Not figuratively, but literally, there was standing room only in Pittsburgh City Council Chambers on Monday, Jan. 8.
Shortly after, there was this thunderous applause that came from the crowd.
“All these people here today, y’all must have thought I brought (DJ) Selecta with me,” quipped Khari Mosley.
Actually, they were there to witness Mosley be sworn-in as the next City Council member for District 9. An African American man with long ties to the community, who served as the political director for 1 Hood Media, and worked on campaigns for then-state Rep. Jake Wheatley and then-mayor Bill Peduto.
Councilman Mosley has also served as the Democratic Committee chair for the 22nd Ward, Pa. state director for BlueGreen Alliance, and director of Green Economy Initiatives for GTECH Strategies.
But on this Monday, Jan. 8, the weather outside was actually pretty good—42 degrees, a little bit of sunshine following the weekend snow—as another positive light in the African American community was having his day in the sun.
Mosley takes over for longtime Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess, who had served on council for over 15 years. Both Councilman Mosley and Rev. Burgess are Black.
Not that it was a foregone conclusion, but early in 2023, Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor, Ed Gainey, threw his support behind Councilman Mosley. And usually, when the mayor supports you, you’re on to victory. Just ask people like Congresswoman Summer Lee, Pa. Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, and especially new Allegheny County Chief Executive Sara Innamorato.
SWORN-IN—KHARI MOSLEY, WITH HIS SONS, WIFE CHELSA WAGNER, FATHER THADDEUS AND UNCLE JACK WAGNER
After Councilman Mosley was sworn-in by Judge Chelsa Wagner (who is also Councilman Mosley’s wife), he took to the podium and thanked his new colleagues on City Council.
“To join this body is truly the honor of my life and I look forward to working with you for all the people across the City of Pittsburgh,” Councilman Mosley said.
He then thanked all the voters of District 9, which includes East Liberty, Homewood, and Lincoln-Lemington, among other neighborhoods. He thanked his family, the Mosleys, the Reeds, and the Wagners.
“And I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to my 1 Hood family,” the new councilman said, and he honored his late mother, as well.
The theme of Councilman Mosley’s prepared remarks was transformation. For a city like Pittsburgh, its outsiders sometimes call it “the most livable,” or a “destination city,” that doesn’t have the high crime numbers as, say, a Philadelphia, Baltimore or D.C. But to a lot of the true Pittsburghers, the ones who reside within this hilly terrain, it’s called one of the “worst” cities to live in, especially if you’re an African American.
This is not lost on Pittsburgh’s political figures, Councilman Mosley included. “I believe our city is experiencing a transformational moment, and our generation has been tasked with the responsibility to seize a once-in-a-century opportunity and lay the foundation for Pittsburgh that embodies the type of prosperity, vibrancy and diversity that epitomizes our progressive values,” Councilman Mosley said, to a rousing applause. “And if we can do that, we can make the city a place we can be proud to call home for generations to come. I call this our transformational moment.”
Councilman Mosley discussed that it’s important for people to recognize the arts and culture that Pittsburgh has contributed to the larger society, everyone from the August Wilsons to the Andy Warhols, even the councilman’s own father, the sculptor, Thaddeus Mosley.
“We have an obligation to each other, to those who came before us, and to future generations to answer this call to build a prosperous Pittsburgh that encourages shared economic growth, provides economic security for the most vulnerable and creates economic opportunities regardless of your zip code, bloodline or station in life,” Councilman Mosley said.
PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT R. DANIEL LAVELLE
Following Councilman Mosley’s remarks, another African American man, Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle, who’s served on council for 14 years, was elected Council President by a 9-0 vote. He succeeds Theresa Kail-Smith, who had served as president since 2020.
Mayor Gainey then took to the podium to thank the retiring members of council, Bruce Kraus and Rev. Burgess. The mayor thanked Rev. Burgess, who was not in attendance, “for his years of service. I appreciate him and I appreciate the work that he’s put in.”
Mayor Gainey then turned his attention to Councilman Lavelle, who received applause when he was elected Council President. “You definitely deserve it,” the mayor said to Councilman Lavelle, “and it just adds on to the legacy of your family. Your family is the definition of transformation.”
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