Yasmine-Imani McMorrin Elected First Black Woman Mayor Of Culver City

In 2021, Culver City issued a formal apology for its past discriminatory practices.

Yasmine-Imani McMorrin made history when she became the first Black woman to be elected mayor of Culver City, CA, on Dec. 11. McMorrin was elected by the five sitting council members in a unanimous vote.

The Jamaican-American woman thanked her supporters on the City Council’s Instagram page.

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“As only the 6th woman – and first Black woman – council member, this moment is not lost on me, and I thank my colleagues for their vote of confidence to lead us through the next year with them and Vice-Mayor O’Brien,” she wrote.

McMorrin graduated from Spelman College and went on to receive her Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, she served as the president of the Association of Black Law Students.

The lawyer relocated to Culver City from New Jersey in 2016 and said she enjoyed the “small town charm” of the Los Angeles suburb.

Located about 10 miles outside of Los Angeles, Culver City has a population of approximately 38,000. African Americans account for less than 10% of the population. Having had a racist history, Culver City issued a formal apology for its past discriminatory practices in 2021.

McMorrin was motivated to run for city council because she wanted to address the city’s skyrocketing rental rates, which caused residents to have to relocate.

“The displacement of our neighbors and friends, and especially school children, is harming not only those who are priced out, but the very fabric of our city,” the mayor-elect wrote on her website.

This isn’t McMorrin’s first time making history; in 2020, the mother-of-one was also the first Black woman to be elected to the Culver City Council in 2020. She was also Vice Chair of the Culver City General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC). The Spelman alum is a Director of Education Equity at California Children’s Defense Fund.

McMorrin will serve as mayor for a 12-month term, and she will lead first her city council meeting on Jan. 8, 2024.