ATLANTA–The first black governor in the United States was an HBCU graduate. The first black female governor in the U.S. might be an HBCU alum as well. Stacey Abrams made history in Georgia on Tuesday night by winning the Democratic nomination for governor in the primary election. No black female has ever won the nomination of a major party for a governor’s bid in American history until last night.
Stacey Abrams Makes History, Is Elected Georgia’s Democratic Nominee For Governor https://t.co/qofAay2cUA
— Darren Sands (@darrensands) May 23, 2018
Abrams completed her undergraduate degree at Spelman College in Atlanta before going to graduate school at the University of Texas and Yale law school. She graduated magna cum laude from Spelman with a bachelors degree in interdisciplinary studies (political science, economics and sociology).
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Congratulations, @staceyabrams! #GAGov #HistoryMaker pic.twitter.com/9drtg3fuON
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 23, 2018
Virginia was the first
Abrams is following in the footsteps of Douglas Wilder. He was the first black governor in America when he was elected to lead Virginia in 1989. Wilder is a graduate of both Howard and Virginia Union University.
Abrams will face a still to be determined Republican candidate in this fall’s general election. Atlanta has a long history of electing black mayors but African Americans haven’t had nearly the success in state politics. Georgia has never had a black, or female for that matter, governor in history. The Deep South as a region hasn’t had a black governor since Reconstruction.
"Hard work is in my bones!" – @staceyabrams addresses supporters after winning Democratic primary.
MORE: https://t.co/WnjqUwumoq pic.twitter.com/SGFAyc85nF
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) May 23, 2018
Interesting character
At just 44 years old Abrams is quite an interesting person. She previously served as the House Minority Leader for the Georgia General Assembly. Abrams was a State Representative for the 89th House District. Abrams was the first African American to lead in the House of Representatives in Georgia’s history. She has also run several small businesses and has written a series of romance novels.
Only two African-Americans have been elected governor by voters: Wilder in 1989 and Deval Patrick in Massachusetts in 2006 and again in 2010.
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