On Wednesday, a crowd of approximately 5,000 people gathered to watch as Wes Moore was sworn in to become Maryland’s first Black governor and only the third elected in U.S. history.
In his inaugural address, Moore promised to address long-standing inequities in the state while growing the economy, blunting climate change and shrinking violent crime. He called to end the disproportionate incarceration of Black people.
The new governor — Maryland’s 63rd and the only Black person leading a state today — shared what he hopes to accomplish while in office, calling out issues including the number of children living in poverty, the quarter million residents without health care, unemployment rates, racial wealth gaps, minimum wage, crime, education and more.
During the celebration, Moore gave an inaugural address speaking to the historic day and to his priorities while in office.
Read the full text of Governor Moore’s inaugural address here.
Wednesday’s inauguration was a celebratory day bringing together legislators and public figures. “You couldn’t ask for a better day,” said Maryland Chamber President & CEO Mary Kane.
