As we begin winding down for the holiday season, I have been reflecting on the voting rights victories of the November election. There is much to say of the losses, but we cannot lose sight of our wins. 

For example, for the first time in our nation’s nearly 250-year history, two Black women will serve in the Senate at the same time. These women are Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware. 

After tireless organizing and litigation, Alabama voters elected Shomari Figures to represent the congressional district that Alabama was ordered by the Supreme Court to redraw. Figures will be the first Black person to represent this district since 1832. And for the first time in history, Alabama will have two Black members serving in Congress at the same time.

In Louisiana, redrawn congressional maps made way for increased representation for Black voters. Louisiana voters elected Cleo Fields to represent this redrawn district. 

These victories were hard fought. As we press forward and contend with the new political realities resulting from the November election, let’s not overlook the places where progress was made. 

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