jean quan sworn in as mayor of oakland

This week, during a ceremony at the Fox Theater in Oakland, Jean Quan was officially sworn in as the city's 49th mayor -- the first Asian American female mayor of any major U.S. city: Jean Quan is sworn into office as Oakland's new mayor. Here are some video highlights from the inauguration ceremony:



As she was sworn in, the crowd gave Quan a standing ovation. In her speech, she outlined her top three priorities as mayor: education, jobs, and public safety.

In her speech, Quan outlined her top three priorities to begin her term. She opened with education. “The first thing I want to do is put the children at the heart of the politics and business in Oakland,” she said. She talked about her plan to ask for volunteer mentors for 2,000 of Oakland’s youth who are either in trouble with the law, missing too much school or aging out of foster care. Mentors will be able to help these young people, she said, and as a result high school graduation rates will increase and crime will go down.

Jobs and public safety were her other two priorities. Quan said she wants to focus on retail and shopping in Oakland and also give young people work training. When she talked about public safety, she mentioned that the state of California spends six to seven percent of its annual budget on education and 11 percent on prisons. “What’s wrong with that picture?” she asked. “I believe that crime is integrally linked to our children and their future and hope in our city."

Quan has already had a really remarkable life and career of public service, including stints on Oakland's school board and city council. As the new mayor of Oakland, she's certainly got her work cut out for her. I wish you the best, Mayor Quan. More background on Jean Quan, including family and professional history, here: Becoming mayor after years of fighting authority.