When the hands are raised Friday and the oaths of office are taken, the City of Natchez will make a bit of history.

For the first time, a majority black board of aldermen will lead Natchez’s city government.

For only the second time since Reconstruction, a black mayor will lead the city’s government as well.

For many, many years now the city’s board was split 50-50, with three white members and three black members.

On one hand, the change in racial makeup of the board is important historically. However, on the other hand, Natchez has been a melting pot of all sorts of people for years. And in some ways Natchez collectively doesn’t see race in the same way some other places in Mississippi do.

One day soon, we hope, the color of the people representing the city in government will not matter.

We’re encouraged that aldermen say they plan to vote for improving the quality of life of all the people in the city, not merely ones that look like themselves.

We expect that to be true and plan to continue to hold the city’s public representatives in government accountable for stepping up and doing what is best for the community, not merely what a constituency based on race might seek.