1,000 Words: A seat at the table

The first days of January are an inspiring time when new political leaders take their shot at changing the world. For now, anything seems possible.

In Cincinnati today, Tamaya Dennard took the oath of office for the City Council.

She carried a folding chair with her in honor of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, who said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

“I am Shirley Chisholm. I am Barbara Jordan. I am Sandra Bland, and I am Marian Spencer,” Dennard said at the beginning of her first speech as a City Council member.