Wes Moore Takes Oath of Office as Maryland’s First Black Governor

By Sam Janesch and Hannah Gaskill, The Baltimore Sun, Tribune Content Agency, adapted by Newsela staff

Placing his hand on a Bible once owned by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Wes Moore took his oath of office January 18, 2023, to become Maryland’s 63rd governor. He is the state’s first and the country’s only current Black chief executive.

Moore was sworn in alongside his family, new Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller and state lawmakers inside the State House’s Senate chamber in Annapolis and addressed a crowd of well-wishers outside the historic building after being introduced by Oprah Winfrey. Guests included Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton; former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder; and Baltimore Orioles baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr.

“Today is not the victory — today is the opportunity,” Moore said in his inaugural remarks. “An opportunity to lead with love. An opportunity to create with compassion. An opportunity to fight fearlessly for our future.”

The moment punctuated the swift and historic rise of Moore, a political newcomer. He became a rising star in Democratic politics during a campaign in which he pledged to tackle generational problems such as child poverty and racial wealth gaps.

A former bestselling author, Army veteran and nonprofit leader, Moore spent his career circling politics before jumping into the race to succeed Republican Larry Hogan. Maryland governors are limited to two four-year terms.

Moore’s Plans for Maryland

In the primary, Moore’s 32 percentage-point victory marked the largest winning margin for any governor in the state in nearly four decades.

In his remarks, Moore promised to both “support our first responders who risk everything to protect us, and change the inexcusable fact that Maryland incarcerates more Black boys than any other state.” He said data-driven strategies would help keep violent offenders off the streets.

Moore also said the state would confront climate change as “a leader in wind technology, in grid electrification and clean transit.”

And he repeated a frequent campaign pledge to create a paid year of service for high school graduates. He also promised to invest in special education students, students learning English and LGBTQIA+ students, “and every kid who needs a little extra help.”

Winfrey greeted the crowd with a “Hello, Maryland!” and said she met Moore in 2010 when she interviewed him about his first book, “The Other Wes Moore.” She said she learned on January 6, 2021, that he wanted to run for governor as supporters of then-President Donald Trump were rioting at the U.S. Capitol.

“‘You want to run in this climate?’” she remembered asking, and said he replied, “‘Exactly. Exactly.’”

Confronting The History Of Slavery

During the campaign, Moore sometimes downplayed the fact that he would be Maryland’s first Black governor — saying repeatedly his “assignment was not to make history.” During his inauguration day, he embraced Maryland’s Black heritage.

That included a visit in the morning to City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland, where enslaved Africans once arrived on Maryland’s shores. Moore said it was important to acknowledge Maryland’s long road from slavery to his inauguration.

Sherrilyn Ifill is a former University of Maryland School of Law professor and former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. She said at City Dock that Moore “has invited us to ask, ‘How should we reconcile this auspicious moment with the history that calls us from this place?’”

She spoke of Douglass sailing past the very spot they were standing 197 years ago as he traveled as an enslaved boy from the Eastern Shore to Baltimore. She also spoke of Kunta Kinte, the ancestor of “Roots” author Alex Haley, whose name is memorialized at the dock because of his arrival there in 1767.

“This history, the history of chattel slavery in this country and in the state of Maryland, has shaped the political, social, economic and legal infrastructure of our cities, counties and our state. We cannot deny it, much as we may try,” Ifill said. “Our confrontation with this history is the only way we can overcome its lingering effects.”

“Proof That In Maryland, Anything Is Possible”

At the ceremony, people gathered in the surrounding streets and video screens and chairs for guests filled the area. The sense of history was not lost on the crowd there. Jocelyn Montgomery and 16-year-old Janiya Deshields drove about two hours from Salisbury. Montgomery used to be Janiya’s youth pastor. “My parents and my grandparents always tell stories of being a part of history, but now actually being able to be here to be a part of it, it’s amazing for me,” Montgomery said. “It’s a great day to make history.”

Up on the stage, the new governor’s 9-year-old son, James, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Miller’s three daughters introduced their “mommy.” Miller, who emigrated from India when she was 7, swore her oath of office on the Bhagavad-Gita, a book of Hindu scripture. Moore recognized both Miller’s mother, Hema, and his mother, Joy, as immigrants whose children are now in the highest offices in the state.

“You are proof that in Maryland, anything is possible,” Moore said as he looked at them.

Two days after the inauguration, Moore announced his first state budget plan. It outlined the programs and issues he will turn his attention toward during his first year. His team also introduced bills that he hopes will pass in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. Legislative leaders have so far expressed optimism in working with Moore and sharing priorities as they control both branches of government for the first time in eight years.

Moore has spoken with urgency about several topics that he could focus on. He would like to hire more state workers to fill vacant or previously eliminated positions and raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.