Emeryville has a Black woman mayor for the first time in the city’s history, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.

Emeryville, the tiny East Bay city between Oakland and San Francisco that most folks know for its IKEA, quietly celebrated a historic moment this month: Courtney Welch was appointed mayor, making her the first Black woman to fill the role in the 127-year history of the community.

“It’s my responsibility to make sure I’m not the last Black woman to be in this position,” said Welch, who in 2021 became the first Black woman elected to Emeryville’s City Council in over three decades.

Like many small towns, Emeryville’s City Council rotates the position of mayor annually. Generally speaking, the position is symbolic, but Welch’s presence in it — especially at this particular moment for the city — makes it much more than that.

For decades, gentrification and displacement have forced Black folks out of San Francisco and Oakland, yet Emeryville has emerged as a haven for Black culture and identity. Between 2010 and 2020, Emeryville was the only city in Alameda County to avoid a net loss in its Black population. The city needs a Black mayor now more than ever, and Welch has a responsibility to demonstrate to more prospective residents just how much the political elites in the small town value Black and brown folks.

Welch campaigned on the promise of prioritizing the needs of the marginalized in 2021, and it helped her be part of a wave that saw the number of people of color in public office grow from 26% to 34% across 101 local municipalities between 2018 and 2021.

Welch told me that her lived experiences — having been displaced and living in transitional housing and having worked on affordable housing policy as part of Emeryville’s Housing Committee — will continue to shape her priorities as mayor just as they did when she was a City Council member.

“It also goes back to my own experiences and the feeling that I have a general responsibility to make sure our policies are continuously shaped by a racial equity lens,” Welch said.

Welch pointed to progress around housing in 2023, like in April when the city was given a “Prohousing” designation by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which is something only 22 communities in California have received. The label means Emeryville is embracing progressive policies that, among other things, support the creation of affordable housing at a time when it’s needed most. And one of those affordable housing projects Welch mentioned is the Christie Avenue Affordable Housing, which may include over 360 rental units.

“I want us to continue to prove we’re a housing justice leader in the region,” Welch said.

Housing costs, along with deeply entrenched economic disparity, are driving Black people out of Bay Area cities, and Welch knows Emeryville’s policies must not create more displacement. This is part of the reason why Welch told me another of her focuses will be on helping small businesses, particularly ones run by people of color.

“Especially since the pandemic, there has been a lot of push around being more creative around now vacant office spaces. We’re seeing some return to brick-and-mortar shopping and people are wanting to have more experiences again,” Welch said, adding she wants to explore ways to “clear pathways and open opportunities” for businesses run by people of color. “We don’t have that much geography to work with and want to figure out ways to help small businesses be innovative and creative.”

The appointment of Welch as mayor, and last decade’s rise in Black residents, shouldn’t be seen in isolation. Instead, they are part of a broader narrative about Emeryville quietly laying the groundwork for a brighter future, and how in a 2023 Bay Area consumed by negative headlines and “doom loop” scenarios, Emeryville is proving that good news can still flourish.

“Emeryville is having a bit of a renaissance,” Welch told me.

I can see why she says that. Buzzy new businesses are drawing eyes to Emeryville’s Bay Street mall, which two years ago was roughly 35% vacant after more than a dozen businesses closed during the pandemic.

CenterCal Properties bought Bay Street for a reported $90.5 million in 2021, and the Southern California-based development firm spent about $75 million in breathing new life into the area. Now it’s becoming a food destination, thanks to places like the Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated Mexican spot Flores, Marin’s Uchiwa Ramen and Saucy Asian, which like Flores, also has a place in San Francisco.

Emeryville’s rise is no accident but a result of a deliberate and collective effort to create a community that is inclusive, accepting and forward-thinking.

No city is perfect, and Emeryville undoubtedly has its unique flaws. But there are still some things to be proud of after a year in which many Bay Area cities battled their own social and political demons. Emeryville appointed a Black mayor, made progress with affordable housing and maintained its focus on attracting more diverse residents. These things offer a glimmer of hope in an otherwise chaotic world, and it’s all worth celebrating. even if just for a moment.