By LILLIAN GLAROS
County Executive Aisha Braveboy, sworn in on June 19 at the Samuel IV Riggs Alumni Center at the University of Maryland (UMD), said she looks forward to being the voice for Prince George’s County residents.
“I look forward to leading, to being the voice, but I also look forward to getting input from those who I lead,” Braveboy said to a crowd of hundreds who gathered in College Park for her inauguration. “That is who I am as a leader.”
Braveboy emphasized collaboration with the state’s attorney’s office, municipalities, state and federal delegations, the Prince George’s County Council and county residents through town halls.
Choosing Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, for her inauguration was deliberate, Braveboy said.
“I want to be sworn in on a day that has meaning separate and apart from myself,” she said. “It’s about remembering how folks who look like me got to this country, but that we deserve … to be able to achieve the promise of America.”
Braveboy’s inauguration drew national, state and county politicians, as well as community members.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who delivered the keynote address, praised Braveboy’s dedication.
“Since taking office, I have had the honor of watching her work up close, and I got to tell you, from the work that I have already seen, you should understand why I am so excited about the future of Prince George’s County,” Moore said. “She is someone who has shown that she doesn’t just have a vision for the future, but she’s someone who showed that she knows how to deliver upon that future as well.”
Edward Burroughs III, chair of the Prince George’s County Council and a former colleague of Braveboy’s in the county State’s Attorney’s Office, spoke about her exceptional leadership.
“What I can tell you is that Aisha Braveboy sets the standard, her intellect,” Burroughs said. “Her courage, her commitment to justice and her commitment to service stands out among the rest.”
Burroughs shared stories of Braveboy’s “going above and beyond,” including saving hundreds of jobs for Prince George’s County residents when a Safeway distribution site was threatened with closure.
Adding to the celebration, sorors from Braveboy’s sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho, sang and paid tribute with heartfelt songs.
“I’ve got a feeling, I’ve got a feeling soror, I’ve got a feeling Aisha’s gonna be our county exec,” they sang.
“Empire” actress Taraji P. Henson, who grew up in the District and Prince George’s County and graduated from Oxon Hill High School, also spoke briefly at the event.
The inauguration featured prayers from local religious leaders and an uplifting choir performance by Redeemers Voices.
