Jones will succeed Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III, who was elected in 2011, unable to run for re-election because he exceeded his term limits.

In 2015 Jones made history as the first Black woman to be elected to the city council, entering the race after serving as a Mary Kay Sales Director and a chemist.

As a resident of Ferguson for over 40 years and a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal church, Jones initially struggled to gain footing with Black organizers after calling on demonstrators to cease the looting.

The hope is that change and action come for Ferguson residents in real-time as Black communities continue to be subjugated by lawless police activity.

Ella Jones Elected As First Black Woman, First Black Mayor Of Ferguson 

was originally published