ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mayor Ken Welch promised in his inaugural address that he would oversee a city where people from all backgrounds benefit from a booming economy that is leaving many behind.
The city’s first Black mayor was armed with a study completed a month earlier by his predecessor that described how people of his color and their communities have long faced discrimination and neglect. It outlined five steps the city could take immediately to begin righting historic wrongs.
But more than a year after the address, only one of those recommendations has taken shape. Welch said he wants to ensure that whatever is put in place actually benefits Black residents and isn’t just for show, including creating an office to oversee the effort. He also is looking at other communities that have undertaken similar efforts.
