Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced her candidacy for mayor Tuesday with a campaign video that calls out Boston's “deep racial inequities,” invokes a host of civil rights and political leaders, and casts her career as one which follows in their footsteps.

Then-City Council President Janey became acting mayor last month — as the city charter dictates — when predecessor Marty Walsh became U.S. Secretary of Labor. Because the string of white males in city hall's top job had been unbroken, Janey's status as a Black woman catapulted her to national attention. Janey's video celebrates her historic position and makes it a focal point of her campaign.

“Now, Boston having its first woman and first Black mayor, that’s just the start. We’ve got work to do,” says Janey following a montage featuring snippets of speeches and video footage of Mel King, Bruce Bolling, Tito Jackson, Charles Yancey and Charlotte Golar Richie — all of whom sought the mayoralty in the past.

In the video, Janey travels the city sporting red, black and green sneakers and riding a bus. As she appears at the city's local Black-owned bookstore, she quotes the oft-cited statistic about the gaping median net worth disparity between Boston’s white and Black families.

The video goes on to detail Janey’s experience as a student during Boston’s court-mandated desegregation era, while highlighting other history-making Black women: Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Georgia voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Janey joins a field — so far — of five top-tier candidates, three of who are also city councilors.

“Every candidate wants to be her right now,” said Erin O’Brien, associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Boston, pointing to the power of Janey's incumbency. “The others are going to say what they would do, Janey will say what she has been doing."

Janey’s formal declaration furthers the political season’s novel narrative of a Boston mayoral race without a white male candidate, a situation that O’Brien said was unimaginable until now.

“Four years ago, you never would’ve thought of this field. People would’ve said there’s only enough room for one female candidate,” O'Brien added.

In terms of public exposure, Janey may be leading the field. But in terms of fund raising, she has catching up to do.

Councilor Andrea Campbell has $974,000 in her campaign account and has led the pack in fund raising for two straight months. Councilor Michelle Wu has $941,000 in the bank. State Rep. Jon Santiago has nearly $526,000, and Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George has $426,000.

Janey thus far reports only $248,000 in her campaign account, and John Barros, a former Walsh administration official, has $228,000.

Janey enters the race just one week before the city’s election department begins accepting statements of candidacy. Those intending to run have until May 11 to declare themselves. To qualify for the September non-partisan primary, a candidate must submit 3,000 voter signatures by May 18.

The two winners of the September primary face off in a final November election.