This year has been an amazing one for women of color across all industries and several inspiring women made political history on Tuesday as they were elected to prominent positions of leadership within their respective states.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris was a favorite among many in the community for much of the election season. Her victory on Tuesday night made her the first Black woman to become Senator of California. Born to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, Harris’ win also laments her place in history as the first Indian-American Senator and the second-ever Black female Senator.
Minnesota politician Ilhan Omar became the first Somali-American Muslim woman to serve as legislator with her win on Tuesday when she was elected to the state legislator. A consistent advocate against economic and racial inequality in the U.S., Omar and her family escaped the Somali civil war when she was just 8 years old, before later relocating to the U.S. when she was 12.
Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto also broke barriers as the first Latina Senator in U.S. history on Tuesday, winning the hearts of voters with a campaign focused on alleviating economic disparities by implementing things like equal pay practices, paid family leave and immigration reform. Masto is the granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant born to a Mexican father and an Italian mother.
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Washington state representative Pramila Jayapal’s historic win on Tuesday made her the first Indian-American woman elected to the House Of Representatives. The 57-year-old democrat ran a successful campaign that focused several important initiatives, including increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and implementing a ban on assault weapons.
Congrats to all of these extraordinary ladies!
Head over to Think Progress to check out the full list of women of color who changed the political landscape with their victories on in the 2016 election.