CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The city of Charlottesville, still coping with the aftermath of white nationalist rallies last year, has a new mayor.

Nikuyah Walker, an independent who was one of two new council members elected in November, was chosen by her fellow councilors at a meeting Tuesday night. News outlets report Walker will be the Virginia city’s first black female mayor.

Walker has been an outspoken critic of local leaders’ response to the rallies and a frequent presence at council meetings.

Former Mayor Mike Signer will still serve on the five-member council.

In Charlottesville, serving as mayor is a part-time job that involves presiding over council meetings. But Signer also became a public face of the city as it dealt with the rallies, the largest of which came in August and descended into violent chaos.