NAACP Image Awards: 10 Times Stacey Abrams Was The Political Warrior Of Our Dreams
It’s hard to think about the U.S. political landscape without thinking about Stacey Abrams, the Georgia-based voting rights advocate, who sprinkled Black Girl Magic all over the November 2020 elections. She helped her home state turn blue for the first time in 20 years, helping Georgia Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeat their incumbent Republican opponents.
Abrams, 47, a politician, lawyer, author and activist, is also credited with helping secure the win for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Winning, of course, is nothing new for Abrams. She served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2006-2017, and parlayed a loss in a contentious gubernatorial race in 2018 into a win by immediately turning her attention to voter suppression, which played a role in her loss.
“I had some time on my hands and, of course, as folks know, I really wanted to focus America's attention on voter suppression, not just what happened in my election and to the voters in my state, but what was happening around the country,” she told MTV News ahead of the November presidential election.
Indeed, she is on a trajectory to becoming one of the most dominant political players on the national stage, winning awards and other accolades. Besides the NAACP Image Award, she has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Here are 10 times she was a political warrior of our dreams:
She ‘Gets In Good Trouble’
The late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who devoted his life to racial justice and equality, urged Americans to defy complacency in a tweet in 2018 about political action, saying, in part, “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."
His words were not only emblematic of his life, but also that of Abrams, who is currently head of Fair Fight, which she founded in 2018 to tackle voter suppression. The nonprofit organization helped register at least 800,000 new voters in Georgia before the 2020 general election, and Abrams is widely celebrated for helping Biden capture the presidency.
Nobel Prize Worthy
She was nominated in February 2021 for the Nobel Peace Prize as a result of her activism, which left voters feeling empowered enough to cast their ballots and propel a sea change in Georgia. A record 7.6 million people were on the voter rolls in the state and Fair Fight registered a record number of voters, mostly millennials and people of color, with a resounding fundraising sweep of more than $32 million. Due to her work and many others, democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff became Senators in Georgia. Warnock is the eleventh Black U.S. Senator in history.
Holds HBCU And Ivy League Degrees
She received degrees from Spelman College, where graduated magna cum laude in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. She also obtained a Master of Public Affairs in 1998 from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.In 1999, she earned a law degree from Yale, which she would later use as a tax attorney.
“Our Choice Is Clear”
On Aug. 18, the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Abrams participated in a keynote address with fellow Democratic leaders from across the country, who spoke about how the coronavirus crisis has taken a toll on medical professionals, essential workers, teachers, parents and other Americans. The panel also condemned Donald Trump’s reluctance to take responsibility for the virus in the U.S
“No leadership,” she said. “No plan. He still doesn’t have a plan. Our choice is clear.” She went on to encourage Americans to vote for Biden. The coronavirus pandemic forced both parties to host virtual conventions.
Watch Abrams deliver her powerful convention speech:
Following In The Footsteps of Dr. King
“Abrams’ work follows in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s footsteps in the fight for equality before the law and for civil rights,” Lars Haltbrekken, a Socialist Party member of Norway’s parliament, said in announcing her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Humble Beginnings
She was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and she and her five siblings grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi and raised in Georgia. Her parents, Robert and Carol Abrams, struggled to make ends meet, but made service a way of life for their children––if someone was less fortunate, it was their job to serve that person. Her parents became Methodist ministers when they moved the family to Atlanta, where they studied divinity at Emory University and eventually became United Methodist ministers.
A Number Of Firsts
She was appointed Atlanta's Deputy City Attorney at the age of 29 . She also was the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly in 2006, and she was the first Black person elected to lead in the Georgia House of Representatives in 2010.
A Documentary About A Warrior
In September 2020, Amazon released a sweeping documentary, All In: The Fight for Democracy, that examines voter suppression and highlights Abrams’ perspectives on the laws and barriers to voting in the United States. It is directed by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lisa Cortés, and produced by Garbus, Cortés, Academy Award-winning producer Dan Cogan as well as Abrams. Watch the trailer below:
She Is An Author
Abram has also published eight romantic suspense novels under the pen name Selena Montgomery.
What’s Next?
Coming off the Democratic Party’s electoral success in 2020, Abrams is widely speculated to be a candidate for Georgia governor in 2022, according to Forbes. While she has not announced plans to run, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp reportedly sees her as a formidable opponent and is already gearing up for a fight. He beat her in 2018 by less than 55,000 votes in a race racked by accusations of voter suppression. His supporters have launched a national fundraising infrastructure to mobilize Republicans to run attack ads about Abrams, the report notes. Stay tuned.
Watch the 52nd Annual NAACP awards on BET on Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 8/7CWatch the 52nd Annual NAACP awards on BET on Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 8/7C
