Mayor Cherelle Parker defended her governing style during a candid speech Friday, saying she suppressed the need to speak candidly about the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrants in order to protect crucial federal funds for city services.
Parker spoke at the annual event Black History Month Luncheon takes place at the Union League and is sponsored by the Philadelphia Tribune, the oldest continuously published African-American newspaper in the country.
She named and praised leading Black community leaders she admires, especially women like her mentor and City Council predecessor Marian Tasco. She said each of them communicated and worked differently, and concluded that they – and herself – should not be blamed for taking different approaches.
“Each of us has to do it in our own way and I can’t criticize you… [if] the way you fight is not the same as me because your gifts and talents, your role and responsibilities are different from mine, and this is not the time when we can interrupt each other,” Parker said.
From that point on, she turned away from the main topic of the speech and focused on it criticism of your own style the leadership and rhetoric it championed as the most effective way to achieve its goals.
“You are the mayor. You should fight. You lack courage,” she said, quoting her critics. “Do you know anyone who says Cherelle Parker was afraid to stand up and fight for what she believes in? Did you ever know that was a trait of mine?”
The mayor said she must “fight like I know how to fight” and deliver concrete results for the city’s residents, especially the most vulnerable. “They cannot eat hope. Hope does not buy bread. I must bring them together to access ‘economic opportunity for all,'” she said, referring to her administration’s oft-repeated recommendations main password.
“I love them so much”
Immigrant advocacy groups have often criticized Parker, saying she and the city should take a forceful stand against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Administration’s intensified detention and deportation campaign.
The mayor typically answers questions about his administration’s policies in general terms, without specifically mentioning immigration, ICE or the Trump administration.
For example, when asked in November 2024 about Philadelphia’s “sanctuary status,” she responded that her administration was “prepared to address the issues that will face us.” Recently, in December interview with Studio 2 WHYYshe admitted that some people are unhappy when she doesn’t give an “emotional answer” to these questions, and said it’s safe and sound to say she didn’t want to pick a fight with the federal government.
At the same time, she repeatedly emphasized that former Mayor Jim Kenney’s 2016 executive order, which limits police cooperation with ICE, remains in force. Prohibits the city from detaining people in ICE cells unless there is a court order or the people have recently been convicted of a violent crime. The city also increased support for immigration legal defense programs.
In Friday’s speech, Parker referred to “various revenue streams” flowing into the city, a clear reference to the more than $2 billion in various types of federal funds that Philadelphia receives annually. President Donald Trump has repeatedly tried or threatened to do so cut off funding to places he describes as sanctuary cities.
“Who do you think are the first people who are in need and receiving support from our public health centers?” – asked the Union League audience in a raised voice. “Who do you think this electorate is? They are our immigrants and the most vulnerable population in Philadelphia. And because I love them so much…”
She stopped.
“My pride, my ego, my emotions, that passion and drive that burns deep within me – because I know what I feel and I know what I want to say – but I want you to think about what discipline “I’ve got to…shut it up, Dorothy Parker, you can’t go out now, Mommy,” she said. Her voice changed from almost a roar back to more conversational as she relayed information to her grandmother, Dorothy, who raised her. “I want you to think about the discipline it takes. That’s leadership.”
We cannot afford to “alienate” Republicans
The mayor also defended her relationships with lawmakers with ties to the Trump administration or criticized by local activists over immigration and other issues.
She listed the elected officials she works with: City Council Speaker Kenyatta Johnson, Gov. Josh Shapiro, the city’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives and “let me just say this for the record because I’ve had a lot of pushback on this issue, yes, both of our U.S. senators, Dave McCormick and John Fetterman.”
McCormick, a Republican, supports the federal deportation campaign and he criticized so-called “sanctuary cities” such as Philadelphia. Fetterman, a Democrat, describes himself as pro-immigrant, but some members of his party attack him for his positions on abolishing ICE, the war in Gaza and other issues.
“When you’re fighting in a situation like we’re in right now, if you think you can discourage anyone… who can bring value to this fight one way or another… you’ve never had to sit where I had to sit,” Parker said. “It’s nice when you pick up the phone as mayor, and because you’ve been nice to people, no matter what side of the ideological spectrum they were on, they still pick up the phone, even in a storm. We want to maintain that kind of relationship.”
“I make no apology to anyone for maintaining relationships with people who can help us achieve our goals here in Philadelphia,” she said to applause. “I’m not sorry about that.”
One area where Parker has been a bit more vocal about opposing Trump lately is Black stories, though the mayor has avoided directly criticizing the administration or mentioning the president by name.
During her speech, she noted that she had just returned from a brief stop at the Presidential Office on Independence Mall, where she observed the reinstallation of an exhibit dedicated to George Washington’s slaves and thanked National Park Service employees.
“I don’t believe anything I hear. I believe everything I see,” she said. “I was a few minutes late because I went to the president’s office because I literally wanted to see the work being done reinstalling the panels.”
Last week, a federal judge ordered the restoration of a set of educational signs after the city filed a lawsuit to overturn the Trump administration’s controversial decision to remove the display. About half of the 34 panels were reinstalled before another judge stayed the order Friday.
He had Parker he talked about the decision of the President’s Chamber earlier, saying she was “excited” that the city’s request for an injunction was initially granted and thanking McCormick, Fetterman and other officials for their assist. “We will not allow anyone to erase our history,” she said.
