AFRO Person of the Year Westley Moore discusses 100-day plan ahead of January inauguration as Maryland’s first Black governor

By Alexis Taylor,
Managing Editor

Maryland has produced more than a few legendary leaders.

From internationally known abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, to the first Black Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the late Congressman Elijah W. Cummings and more– the state has long been the birthplace of greatness.

Now, the name Westley Watende Omari Moore has been added to the list, etched into the annals of time as the first Black man in Maryland– and only the third Black man in American history– to be elected as a state governor.

“I’ve been very humbled, but also just feeling very ready,” Moore told the AFRO. “It’s exciting because I think the state spoke with a collective voice. We won in urban and rural and suburban communities all throughout the state of Maryland.”

According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, the Army vet flipped the state from Republican leadership with 1,293,944 votes, all while staying true to himself, his family, his values and his mission. For all of these reasons, this publication is proud to announce the selection of Gov.-Elect Wes Moore as the 2022 AFRO Person of the Year.

“Wes Moore can help Baltimore City get back on track,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This is going to be an opportunity to move our city forward.”

Born in Takoma Park, Md. to Joy and Westley Moore on Oct. 15, Moore is no stranger to hard work. His father, a radio show host, died when Moore was at the tender age of three. After the untimely death, Moore and his mother moved to the Bronx, N.Y., where his grandmother and other family members settled after relocating from Jamaica. The pair didn’t return to Maryland until Moore was 14 years old, when his mother found employment in Baltimore City.

Moore would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in 2001 from Johns Hopkins University and then a master’s degree from Wolfson College at Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

He became a leader in the combat zones of Afghanistan, CEO of one of the country’s premier anti-poverty organizations, Robin Hood; a television producer and a bestselling author all before setting his sights on the governorship of Maryland in 2021.

Moore spoke with the AFRO less than 24 hours after his election win in November 2022, laying out the Moore-Miller Administration’s plan for tackling the first 100 days in office.

“We are going to build the most transparent and the most competent team in administration the state has ever seen–an administration that actually looks like the state of Maryland,” said Moore. “I think the state of Maryland is ready. They’re ready for us to be bold. They’re ready for us to actually build a state that ‘leaves no one behind.’ I’m very humbled that they had the confidence in me and our team.”

Moore said he knows collaboration will be key to his success.

“We are going to work together to make sure that our state is more competitive and also more equitable,” the Gov.- Elect continued. “We’ll be working in partnership with the legislature in the first hundred days in order to accomplish that. We are gonna create a new dynamic in the way that the state government works with local leadership, with our mayors, our county executives, our city council people, our older people. We are going to ‘level set’ the relationship between the governor’s office and our local elected officials.”

Mayor Scott said while residents may think he is in sole control of resources to do things like fight crime, funding actually, in large part, comes from the governor.

“The previous governor never leveraged the power of the Baltimore City public safety offices he had influence over,” said Scott. “I am working with Wes Moore to build strong partnerships citywide and federally. I am excited about the opportunity to work with Wes Moore each and every day to make our city a better place.”

Moore, along with Lt. Gov- Elect Aruna Miller, said his administration will take on several hot-button issues during their first few months in office– to include opportunities for Maryland youth and their families.

“We are going to put together the most comprehensive package to address the issue of child poverty and the issues of the racial wealth gap,” said Moore. “We’re going to put together a framework that’s going to ensure that Maryland will be the first state in this country that has a service year option for every single high school graduate.”

Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis, in a statement, spoke about Moore’s leadership.

“Wes Moore is the leader Maryland deserves and needs,” she said. “This is the dawn of a new era in Maryland. Governor-elect Moore is going to lead with urgency, compassion and moral clarity. We can trust him to bring the same level of energy to governing as he has demonstrated while campaigning and throughout his lifetime of public service.”

Democratic Governors Association Chair Roy Cooper also weighed in on Moore’s competence to take on the role of governor.

“His experience as a combat veteran, small business owner, and CEO of one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty organizations has provided him with the skills and knowledge to enact bold change and build a Maryland that leaves no one behind,” said Cooper. “He’ll be a champion for creating a thriving economy and a world-class public education system while keeping families safe.”

On Jan. 18 at noon, Wes Moore will be sworn in as Maryland’s first Black governor in Annapolis.

The tasks at hand won’t be easy, but elected officials around the state and country believe Moore, “first of all, a servant of all, transcending all,” is up to the challenge.

Report for America corp member, Tashi McQueen contributed to this article.

Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member –subscribers are now members!  Join here! 

The post AFRO Person of the Year Westley Moore discusses 100-day plan ahead of January inauguration as Maryland’s first Black governor appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers .

This article originally appeared in The Afro.