By Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District.
Being the first is a serious obligation.
As the first Black woman voted to the Greensboro City School Board and the first Black woman to serve Charlotte and the Piedmont in Congress, I would be well-known. When you are the first woman, first African American, or first of any group in a prominent position, you bear the weight of centuries. Black women are especially vulnerable.
People put their faith in you. They look to you for direction and fortitude. When you falter, they hold it against you. You are also responsible for paving the path for others. I was the 100th woman in Congress, not the first, thanks to trailblazing Congresswomen like Jeannette Rankin, Patsy Mink, and Shirley Chisholm.
Last week, another member of Congress honored being the first – my buddy, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, formally became the first African American head of a party in Congress early Saturday morning after a vote to choose a Speaker of the House took 15 roll call ballots.
Leader Jeffries assumes control of the Democratic party at a critical juncture. MAGA Republicans have pushed the Republican Party to the far right, and some House members who supported the January 6th insurgency were engaged in the attempt to keep Republican leader Kevin McCarthy from becoming Speaker of the House.
With this increased authority, the far-right Republican conference is pushing legislation that will appeal to Trump Republicans and the MAGA mentality, but has no chance of getting more than 49 Senate votes. This week’s bills, for example, included government assistance for millionaire and billionaire tax cheats, anti-abortion legislation that will hurt parents while exacerbating the Black maternal health crisis, economic bills backed by racial and xenophobic language, and more.
This has the capacity to devastate Black America. Fortunately, we have the proper boss for the job.
Leader Jeffries is concentrated on the ABCs of ruling, as evidenced by his passionate inaugural address.
“American values triumph over autocracy.” Benevolence triumphs over prejudice. “The Constitution triumphs over the cult,” he declared. He added “voting Rights over voter suppression” nineteen characters afterward.
Leader Jeffries understands the importance of this time in preserving our democracy. As Donald Trump’s January 6th insurgency demonstrated, there are some Americans who are willing to stretch the norms of our democracy until they snap.
MAGA Republicans are masters at this. They altered the procedures of the House so that any member of their conference could ask for a vote of no confidence in the Speaker at any moment. That implies that if the Republican leadership attempts to reach an agreement with Democrats on any issue, the far-right can seize control of the Speakership.
Most Americans understand that defaulting on the national debt or weakening Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid would be disastrous. The white supremacist far-right, on the other hand, will hold to power by any means possible, even if it means burning everything down.
Literally or figuratively.
That’s just one of the many reasons I’m glad we have Leader Hakeem Jeffries at this time. He understands that he is not only bearing Black America’s hopes and dreams on his shoulders; he is also protecting the hopes and dreams of all Americans from the fascist forces that poison our politics.
Finally, don’t forget that Brother Hakeem was the first Black American ever named for Speaker of the House – and the first to receive the most ballots in a Speaker contest.
Because the House roll call is done alphabetically, I was honored to be the first to vote for him. If House Republicans keep going down this road, I’ll be leading a Democratic majority in voting for Speaker Jeffries in two years. It will only take one vote for us.
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