CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The city of Charlottesville, still coping with the aftermath of White nationalist rallies last year, has a new mayor.
In this Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018 photo, City Councilor Nikuyah Walker speaks shortly before being elected as mayor to the city of Charlottesville, in Charlottesville, Va. News outlets reported Walker will be the Virginia city’s first black female mayor. The city is still coping with the aftermath of white nationalist rallies last year. (Zack Wajsgras/The Daily Progress via AP)
Nikuyah Walker, an independent who was one of two new council members elected in November, was chosen by her fellow councilors at a meeting Tuesday night. News outlets report Walker will be the Virginia city’s first Black female mayor.
Walker has been an outspoken critic of local leaders’ response to the rallies and a frequent presence at council meetings.
In this Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018 photo, Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker smiles shortly after she was elected to the position after a city council vote in Charlottesville, Va. News outlets reported Walker will be the Virginia city’s first black female mayor. The city is still coping with the aftermath of white nationalist rallies last year. (Zack Wajsgras/The Daily Progress via AP)
Former Mayor Mike Signer will still serve on the five-member council.
In Charlottesville, serving as mayor is a part-time job that involves presiding over council meetings. But Signer also became a public face of the city as it dealt with the rallies, the largest of which came in August and descended into violent chaos.