Yancey feted during final council meeting
Colleagues celebrate his 32 years on the body
City councilors last week thanked Charles Yancey, praising him during his last meeting as a representative of District 4 for his passion for human rights, his dedication to issues of equity and his laser focus on the interests of his council district. Yancey, 66, has been known as dean of the council for his 32 years of service.
While his colleagues lauded his accomplishments, Yancey, who lost to attorney Andrea Joy Campbell in the Nov. 3 election, spent most of his time thanking his colleagues and the supporters who filled a section of the council chamber before turning his focus to what he considers his unfinished business.
“I’ve used up all my time,” he said. “I was going to talk about building a high school, of passing legislation for a civilian review board, requiring our police officers to wear those body-worn cameras, insisting that we give paid leave for families wanting to visit their children during school hours, but it would take another half-hour to go through the other unfinished business I have here, so I won’t do it.”
Yancey did, however, take time to highlight his final report as head of the council’s Post Audit Oversight Committee, which reviews city spending, hiring and contracting.
“I decided to focus on the issue of disparity in this report, because there was scant mention of that in the other financial reports which are supposed to consider all aspects of city government,” he said.
Years of service
Constituents, political activists and elected officials, including state Rep. Gloria Fox (foreground), gathered in the City Council’s Iannella Chamber for District 4 Councilor Charles Yancey’s last meeting.
Yancey, who was elected in 1983, has served the most consecutive terms of any councilor in the body’s 193-year history. He and at-large Councilor Stephen Murphy, who has served 18 years, were honored by Mayor Martin Walsh and fellow councilors. Walsh gave both councilors silver Paul Revere bowls and thanked them for their service.
“I want to thank you for pushing and fighting for what you believe in,” Walsh said, addressing Yancey. “Never passing up your values. That’s something that’s very important to all of us.”
Walsh and council members also praised Yancey for his advocacy for the new Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library, the Mildred Avenue community center, the Area B3 police station, refurbished parks and playgrounds, and other infrastructure improvements.
At-large Councilor Ayanna Pressley noted that Yancey, as a 12-year-old boy, wrote a letter to then-Mayor John Collins, requesting that he build a playground in the vacant lot across the street from his Roxbury home.
“The playground became his first political victory, and he never stopped,” Pressley said.
District 7 Councilor Tito Jackson teared up as he praised Yancey for his ordinance banning the city from contracting with firms that did business with the apartheid regime in South Africa and his work on the Boston Jobs Residency policy, which mandates that construction jobs be awarded to Boston residents.
“Charles Yancey, I am because you are,” Jackson said. “You were the first elected official I met in my life.”
Many councilors thanked Yancey for sharing the knowledge he amassed during his decades on the council, coaching them on everything from parliamentary procedure to the intricacies of the state budget.
Family support
Sitting in the risers behind Yancey were members of his family. The seating section to his right was filled with his constituents, political activists and other supporters. Also in attendance were State Representatives Evandro Carvalho, Gloria Fox and Russell Holmes.
In his parting remarks, Yancey urged his colleagues to support Mayor Walsh — “He has a very difficult job” — and the students and teachers in the Boston schools.
He also urged council members to hold the Walsh administration and the people of Boston accountable.
“I believe that this body is stronger when it endeavors to not only hold the administration accountable, but when we hold the city accountable,” he said. “After all, this city of Boston belongs to all of us. It’s not the exclusive property of any gender or race. After all, all of us share the cost of government. We should participate in the decision-making of government.”
