The 2018 midterm election has sparked debates about the impact of voting and the role of African Americans in American society. Some may say that the current administration perpetuates division and hate and that now more than ever, blacks need to have their voices heard – not just by protesting or using tools like social media, although that is a start.
To effect real change, blacks must seek and gain positions where they are required to yield strength and can formulate policies that favor other people of color, instead of marginalizing them even further.
Well, the narrative of the quintessential older white man holding a title in politics is changing.
Especially in Harris County, Texas.
On November 6, 19 black women won their coveted seats and are now all judges in Harris County, Texas. They were the biggest number of black women to appear on voting ballots in the state ever, earning the moniker Houston19, according to Blavity.
It is quite telling that Harris County is the third largest in the state and the most diverse, as reported by Cosmopolitan.
The wins make it all the more important to highlight since according to a report conducted by the American Constitution Society, non-white women make up less than 20 percent of judicial forces at the state level.
All 19 of the #Houston African American Female Judges up for election WON tonight!
Congratulations #Houston19 ??? pic.twitter.com/JJMcEI76JF
— Isaac Hayes III (@IsaacHayes3) November 7, 2018
It doesn’t just stop there. Four black women have also made history by becoming congresswomen in their respective districts.
