As we enter Women’s History Month this March, we also want to continue to celebrate Black History by highlighting the determination, effort, and resilience of the following Black women who forged new paths in history and made a place for themselves and those who follow in politics.
Charlotta A. Bass:
A trailblazer in reporting and politics, Charlotta A. Bass (1874-1969) became a woman who set milestones and made a place for not only herself, but also those who followed her in politics. Early in her career, Bass took on The California Eagle, a Black-owned newspaper, and so became the first Black woman to own and operate a newspaper that gave coverage to issues that were affecting the black community and pushed for reform against those issues. Bass was also a strong advocate for civil rights, women’s rights, and immigration – her influence had grown as the strongest Black newspaper on the West Coast, which was enough to put her on an FBI watch list. She continued to put her energy into various organizations for justice before retiring to enter politics, becoming the first ever Black woman to run for Vice President under the Progressive Party. (Source)
Kamala Harris:
More recently, Vice President Kamala Harris became the first Black and Indian woman to become Vice President of the United States. Previously, Vice President Harris represented California in the senate, then came to serve as San Francisco’s District Attorney, where she developed a number of reforms that eventually set a standard for the Department of Justice. She continued on to become California’s Attorney General, where she continued to push for reforms within the Criminal Justice System and win settlements for Californians whose homes had been foreclosed on. She is currently serving as Vice President of the United States and has taken a place in politics for herself and women who follow. (Source)
Stacy Abrams:
In the past few years, Stacy Abrams has become a prominent figure as a politician, activist, and author. Abrams served in the Georgia House of Representatives for eleven years, as Democratic Leader for seven years, and more recently she has broken a record of highest ever number of votes for Democratic Nominee for Governor of Georgia. In response to the mismanaged 2018 Secretary of State elections, Abrams launched the initiative Fair Fight to fund and train voter protection, and then Fair Count to ensure accuracy in the 2020 elections. Her work runs far deeper than that and continues to drive the South towards equity and change. (Source)
