Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke presided over his last council session as President on Thursday, December 14, 2023. What a marathon council session it was, starting right around ten in the morning and running through three-thirty in the afternoon.
Some of the people in city council chambers for this historic last day of work for Darrell Clarke included a handful of retired city councilpersons, including Maria Quinones Sanchez, Blondell Reynolds Brown, and Helen Gym. Also on hand for the occasion was the incoming Mayor and former City Councilperson from the 9th council district, Cherelle L. Parker, who made a rousing speech for someone else whom she credits with being one of her mentors along the way, Darrell Clarke. Mayor Jim Kenney stopped by to show respect for Clarke and his years of service to the City of Philadelphia. Remember, before being Mayor, Kenney was also a city councilperson and he served as a colleague along with Darrell Clarke.
Darrell Clarke has a special story. He didn’t just arrive at the top. He worked hard to get there, having first served in City Council as a staffer to past City Councilman John F. Street, who mentored him along the way. Darrell Clarke actually started working at City Hall in 1980 as a Constituent Services Representative for John F. Street. He rose to become Street’s Chief of Staff. When John Street ran for Mayor of the city of Philadelphia and won, Darrell ran for John Street’s old fifth district seat, and he won it in 2000. He worked for twelve years as a City Council staffer before being a councilman and then for the last 11 years as Council President. He won the title of City Council President in 2012.
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