Janey’s ascension to the role leading one of America’s oldest cities seems the result of a series of fortuitous events. She was first elected to her city council seat in 2017 but went on to become City Council president. She is now acting Boston mayor because President Joe Biden tapped Marty Walsh to serve in his administration. But it comes at a time when the nation is grappling more directly with race and equity issues than it has in decades. And this shift could finally usher in a new era for this city — which is already majority-minority — that