Two Black women set records as firsts in US government and Congress

Stacey Plaskett will become the first Black woman to serve as governor of a US state or territory when she takes office on January 4. Plaskett won the governorship of the US Virgin Islands last week, capturing 62.8 percent of the vote alongside her running mate, Milton Potter. The pair will lead the territory starting in early next year, securing a decisive mandate from voters.

The timing of Plaskett's inauguration places her ahead of another historic figure in executive leadership. Georgia's Keisha Lance Bottoms is scheduled for swearing in on January 11. Because Plaskett assumes her duties one week earlier, she becomes the first Black woman to take office in this new chapter of executive leadership. The transition in the Virgin Islands begins now with the incoming administration preparing for their first year.

In Colorado, voters elected 29-year-old Milad Kiros to represent the state's 1st District in the US House of Representatives. Kiros won her race with 78 percent of the vote, marking two distinct milestones for the state. She is the first Black woman elected to Congress in Colorado history. She is also the first self-identified socialist to win a congressional seat in the state.

Kiros arrived in the United States as an infant from Ethiopia and has lived in Denver since she was 11 months old. Her victory brings a young voice to the state's delegation in Washington. Her background reflects the immigrant experience and the local Denver community that raised her. She will join the congressional delegation as a representative of Colorado's diverse electorate.

While these elections mark new political chapters, a new cultural institution is also opening in New York City. The National Urban League will open the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem this weekend. The facility occupies nearly 12,000 square feet inside the League's headquarters. It is the first museum of its kind in the city, dedicated to exploring the history of the civil rights movement in the North.

Founding director Jennifer Scott described history as living and unfinished. The museum provides a permanent space for stories of local changemakers who shaped their communities. These narratives are often left out of the national discourse. The opening offers Harlem residents and visitors a dedicated venue for this specific history.

The segment also revisited the service of Black soldiers in the Civil War. Approximately 180,000 Black soldiers served in the Union Army, while about 18,000 served in the Navy. Together, they comprised nearly 10 percent of Union forces. About 60 percent of these soldiers had once been enslaved. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry, which included two sons of Frederick Douglass, gained lasting fame for its bravery at Fort Wagner in 1863.