Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) pictured alongside Maryland Governor Wes Moorse during the 2025 swearing-In of the 119th Congressional Black Caucus. Photo credit: Joe Andrucyk/Maryland GovPics
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March 7, 2025
Ask students: Why is it significant that Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester are serving at the same time? How many black women senators have there been in the United States?
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For the first time in the 236-year history of the U.S. Senate, two Black women are serving simultaneously. Geoff Bennett sat down with Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware for a conversation about breaking barriers, shaping history and how Democrats aim to meet the current political moment.
View the transcript of the story.
Senators Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester talk about the diversity of the people of the United States and the importance of representation of those different groups of people in government. What argument do they make for ensuring a body like the Senate represents the diversity of the United States?
Media literacy: What did Vice President Kamala Harris say to Lisa Blunt Rochester on the day she was sworn in? Why do you think this detail was covered in the story?
Read this article about Janelle Bynum, the first Black woman elected to congress in Oregon.
Watch the video below to learn about Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
