black politicians
-
'We're Better Than This, but Just Barely' The Root Presents: It's Lit Talks Democracy With Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings
“So, it turns out that we’re better than this, but just barely,” laughs Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings in the days after a historic but still contested election, one which her husband, the incomparable Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) unfortunately didn’t live to see. Dr. Cummings’ quip is a play on her late husband’s famous quote and…
-
From One 1st to Another: U.S. Representative-Elect Cori Bush Paid Tribute to Shirley Chisholm Following Her Historic Win in Missouri
We may not know yet whether Kamala Harris will become the first Black (and Asian) woman elected vice president of the United States, but we do know for sure that the nurse and Ferguson activist turned progressive Democratic candidate Cori Bush is officially the first Black woman elected to Congress in the state of Missouri.…
-
Black Leaders, We Need You to Tell the Full Story When Talking About Black Crime—and Black Humanity
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has acceded to the presence of federal police in her city—the same federal officers who have been tear-gassing and beating men, mothers, and Navy veterans in Portland, Ore.—as part of President Trump’s ridiculously and ominously termed “Operation Legend.” The decision from the mayor, the city’s first who is a Black woman,…
-
Black Mothers Matter: Reps. Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood Launch the Black Maternal Health Caucus
As the war of words on any number of hot-button issues—including immigration, the environment and equal pay—continue among United States lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, two black congresswomen are ensuring black mothers and children don’t get lost in shuffle. On Tuesday morning, freshman Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Il.) joined Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) in…
-
Stacey Abrams Meets With Top Democrats to Talk Possible 2020 Senate Run
Senator Stacey Abrams certainly has a ring to it. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Abrams, who gained interest nationwide after conceding a hotly contested election for the Georgia governor’s seat last year, met with Democratic leadership in Washington, D.C., to discuss a possible 2020 run—for the U.S. Senate. An aide told AJC that Abrams…
-
The 2018 Root 100 Gala Celebrates Another Year of Black Excellence!
We celebrate black excellence every day here at The Root, but there’s one event where we celebrate the most influential black Americans of the year: our annual Root 100 gala. 2018’s list of luminaries, nominated in part by our faithful readers, span all walks of life: from activists to artists, singers to scientists, politicians to…
-
Stacey Abrams, Who May Become the Country's 1st Black Female Governor, Lands Cover of Time's 'The South' Issue
Stacey Abrams, the Georgia politician whom many hope will be America’s first black female governor, graces the cover of Time magazine this week as the publication focuses its latest issue on the American South. At 44, the former Georgia state Senate minority leader has a proven track record. Time focuses on her gravitas and her…
-
How Wes Bellamy, the 30-Year-Old Vice Mayor of Charlottesville, Va., Plans to Move His City Forward
As the racial divide that has always existed in America turns from a deep fissure to a gaping chasm (which side will you choose?), the city of Charlottesville, Va., remains at the center of that divide’s latest incarnation, especially after a woman lost her life at the hands of rabid white supremacists last week. After…