On Saturday January 12, 2019, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley held a local swearing-in ceremony in Roxbury, Massachusetts at Roxbury Community College. The ceremony was held for the residents of the Massachusetts 7th who were unable to attend the congressional swearing-in in Washington, DC. During the swearing-in, Congresswoman Pressley proclaimed her commitment to the pursuit of equality, equity, and justice and the need to work in partnership as a community to effectively combat the inequities in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district.

Towards the end of the ceremony, Congresswoman Pressley led the her friends & neighbors in a community pledge, where residents pledged their commitment to working in partnership with their elected officials to bring about change in the community.

The Community Pledge read as follows:

• I will be bold.
• I will take my seat at the table of government and create space for others to take theirs too.
• I will celebrate a diversity of perspective.
• I will seek solutions in partnership with those most affected by the issue, bringing those closest to the pain, closest to the power.
• I will inform joy, as joy is a necessary act of resistance.
• I will stand-up for the humanity of every member of this community.
• I will challenge apathy and cynicism by showing-up for the around me.
• I will do my best every day to build a more equitable and just community for us all.