The best political moments of 2021

As the yr ends, ESSENCE presents an important political moments of 2021. The common theme is, unsurprisingly, black women. From fighting for voting rights to laying the groundwork in Georgia to elect its first black senator, black women organized on the bottom to get things done. Here’s what was on our radar this yr.

1. Black women lead the fight to elect Georgia’s first black senator.

Georgia’s demographics are changing, and that matters on the ballot box. After the 2020 election battle, Black women organizers continued to fight to extend voter engagement. Thanks largely to their efforts, Georgia sent two Democrats to the Senate, Jon Osoff and Rapahel Warnock. Warnock, senior pastor Ebenezer Baptist Church IN Atlanta, he’s the primary black senator to represent the peach state.

2. Let everyone welcome the Queen… or not.

Barbados gained independence from Great Britain, removing Queen Elizabeth because the island nation’s head of state. There are currently two black women leading the country. Her government elected Sandra Mason as president, and Mia Mottley has served as prime minister since 2018.

3. Black Lives Matter continues to work despite significantly fewer protests against police brutality this yr.

As the coronavirus continued to rage and stimulus dried up, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and Black Lives Matter Grassroots donated $3 million to Black households which have been financially crippled by the pandemic.

4. Police protests diminished, but Black people were still within the streets and within the Capitol fighting for voting rights.

The federal government continues to struggle to pass laws that challenges voting suppression laws emerging across the country. But Black people don’t quit. On the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, several groups joined forces in August to demand passage of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

5. Nothing will occur to the youngsters. After greater than a month of protests, Howard University students reach an agreement to resolve their housing problems.

Starting Oct. 12, for 34 days, students slept in tents outside the HBCU constructing in Blackburn Center, raising awareness about mold, pest control and other questions of safety. On November 15, they announced a legal agreement with the administration. Generation Z really works hard!