After a history-making victory, Nigerian immigrant Yemi Mobolade was sworn in on June 6 as mayor of Colorado Springs, the second-largest city in the western U.S. state of Colorado. Mobolade moved to the U.S. 27 years ago as a student and became a U.S. citizen in 2017. He started a family, opened two restaurants and a church, and then won election in this traditionally conservative city as its first elected Black leader. “I wake up every morning and I think it’s a dream, and then I realize, no, this really happened,” Mobolade said. But what earned him the trust of many residents, some said, is his stint as the small business development manager for Colorado Springs from 2019 to 2022. Some residents told VOA that Mobolade’s electoral victory sends a message that their state is welcoming to people from all walks of life.
SOURCE: VOA