African American women are making political waves in the First State – with several historic “firsts” in elected government positions.
Lisa Blunt-Rochester assumed Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat this week, becoming in this week first African American and first woman to represent the state in Congress.
And Wilmington is welcoming several new African American women to city council – and its first African American woman as city council president Hanifa Shabazz - giving the state’s largest city a total of six women council members. That's the largest majority of women on council in the history of Wilmington City Council.
Last year, there were four women on council.
Shabazz noted the increase at this week’s swearing in ceremony for City Council and the mayor.
“Wilmington as well as the rest of the country is at a new beginning," Shabazz said. "Not only are there new administrators locally and nationally, there are many new women administrators. Women administrators who will bring new leadership styles, decision making processes that are different from those of the past.”
Velda Jones-Potter was also sworn in as Wilmington’s treasurer, Tuesday – the first African American woman to hold the office.
“I will bring to this office not only my financial background – and I hope I will be allowed – to share some leadership perspective as city council and they mayor endeavor to move this city forward," Jones-Potter said.
Jones-Potter also made history in 2009 when she was appointed Delaware’s first African American woman state treasurer when Jack Markell left the office to become governor.
