Black women take the majority in W-S city council leadership

History was made earlier this week at City Hall when elected members of the Winston-Salem City Council were sworn in. For the first time ever, the majority of the seats on the council are held by Black women.  While at least one Black woman has held a seat on the Winston-Salem City Council since 1977, when Vivian Burke and Virginia Newell became the first women elected, no more than three have ever served at the same time … until now.  On Monday, Dec. 2, incumbents Denise “DD” Adams (North Ward), Barbara Hanes Burke (Northeast Ward), Annette Scippio (East Ward); and the newly elected members Vivian Joiner (South Ward), Regina Ford Hall (Northwest Ward), all were sworn in and account for five of the eight seats on the council.  The other three seats are held by incumbents Robert Clark (R) (West Ward), James Taylor (D) (Southeast Ward), and newcomer Scott Andree-Bowen (D) (Southwest Ward). Mayor Pro Tempore Adams (D) has served on the council since 2009. She has served as chair of the Community/Development/Housing/General Government Committee and vice chair of the Finance Committee. Adams defeated challengers Eunice Campbell and Kymberli Wellman in the primary election with more than 65% of the...