For the first time, the U.S. Senate will have two Black women

Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware will join the small but growing sisterhood of Black women who have served in the upper chamber of Congress.

By Candice Norwood, and originally published by The 19th

Two years ago, the U.S. Senate did not have a single Black woman. And before that, only two Black women had ever served in the upper chamber of Congress.

Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland will change the math. They are both projected to win their races—making history while bringing greater representation to Congress and maintaining the Democrats’ hold on the seats.

This is also the first time that two Black women will serve as senators together—and they will each take seats held by White male Democrats.

“We're at a particular moment in American history where people, I think, are wanting a change,” said Sydney Carr-Glenn, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the College of the Holy Cross. “We have more minority voters relative to, let's say, 20 years ago. And minority voters are often going to vote on descriptive and substantive representation. Oftentimes they're going to vote with people who not only align with their interests, but also align with them identity-wise.”