Politics
Lauren Underwood Makes History as Youngest Black Woman to Serve in Congress
Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) has become the youngest black woman to serve in Congress, according to congressional archives.
The 32-year-old was sworn into office on Jan. 3, after her historic election victory in the 14th Congressional District in Illinois in November. She is the first woman and black person to represent her district, which is overwhelmingly white.
Rep. Barbara Jordan of Texas was previously the youngest black woman to serve in Congress, when she was sworn in at 36 years old in 1973, according to a page from the History, Art & Archives site of the United States House of Representatives. Jordan died in 1996.
Underwood, a registered nurse, celebrated getting sworn in by posting on Twitter last Thursday.
“Here we go, #IL14!” she wrote.
On Wednesday, Underwood shared a video of her taking her first constituent call after moving into her office.
“Thanks for calling Brent from Montgomery!” she wrote on Twitter.
The congresswoman previously served as a senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during former President Barack Obamas administration. She won the nomination for her party in March, beating out six white male candidates.
Underwood paid homage to Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman in history to serve in Congress, during her acceptance speech on election night in November.
“When Congresswoman Chisholm ran for president in the 1970s, she proclaimed that she was ‘unbought and unbossed,’ and I’ve adopted that declaration as my own unofficial model,” Underwood said at the time, according to a video by ABC7.
“Together on this night, we made history,” she added.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 29 – June 4, 2024
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Oakland Post: Week of May 22 – 28, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May May 22 – 28, 2024
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Alameda County
District Attorney Pamela Price Will Face Recall Election on November General Election Ballot
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors scheduled the recall election against Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price for November 5, coinciding with the 2024 General Election. The decision comes after weeks of controversy and drawn-out discussions amongst county officials, recall proponents, and opponents, and legal advisors.
By Magaly Muñoz
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors scheduled the recall election against Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price for November 5, coinciding with the 2024 General Election.
The decision comes after weeks of controversy and drawn-out discussions amongst county officials, recall proponents, and opponents, and legal advisors.
Recall proponents submitted 123,374 signatures before the March 5 deadline, which resulted in 74,757 valid signatures counted by the Registrar of Voters (ROV).
The recall election will cost Alameda County $4 million and will require them to hire hundreds of new election workers to manage the demand of keeping up with the federal, state and local elections and measures.
Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE), one of the two recall campaigns against Price, held a press conference minutes before the Board’s special meeting asking for the Supervisors to schedule the election in August instead of consolidating with the November election.
Supporters of the recall have said they were not concerned with the $20 million price tag the special election would’ve cost the county if they had put it on the ballot in the summer. Many have stated that the lives of their loved ones are worth more than that number.
“What is the cost of a life?” recall supporters have asked time and time again.
Opponents of the recall election have been vehemently against a special date to vote, stating it would cost taxpayers too much money that could be reinvested into social programs to help struggling residents.
A special election could’ve cost the county’s budget to exceed its current deficit of $68 million, which was a driving factor in the three supervisors who voted for a consolidated election.
“Bottom line is, I can’t in good conscience support a special election that is going to cost the county $20 million,” Board President Nate Miley said.
Many speakers asked Miley and Keith Carson to recuse themselves from the vote, claiming that they have had improper involvement with either the recall proponents or Price herself.
Both supervisors addressed the concerns stating that regardless of who they associate themselves with or what their political beliefs are, they have to do their jobs, no matter the outcome.
Carson noted that although he’s neither supporting nor opposing Price as district attorney, he believes that whoever is elected next to take that position should have a reasonable amount of time to adjust to the job before recalls are considered.
Reports of recall attempts started as soon as April 2023 when Price had only been in office three months.
Price and her campaign team Protect the Win have been adamant that the voters who elected her to office will not fall for the “undemocratic” practices from the recall campaign and they are prepared to put all efforts forward to guarantee she stays in office.
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