Stacey Abrams

Political leader, author, and entrepreneur Stacey Abrams made history and captured the nation’s attention as the first Black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in any state, going on to win more votes than any other Democrat in Georgia’s history. After serving eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives—seven as Minority Leader—Abrams became the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia in what was one of the most-watched and closest elections of the year. After witnessing the election’s mismanagement by the Secretary of State’s office, Abrams launched Fair Fight to ensure free and fair elections.

Dedicated to civic engagement, Abrams has founded multiple organizations devoted to voting rights, training and hiring young people of color, and tackling social issues at both the state and national levels. A recipient of Harvard’s Institute of Politics’ John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award, Abrams has also been named a “Public Official of the Year” by Governing Magazine.

She recently shared a message for Black Lives Matter protestors in Atlanta and throughout the country: “What we need them to do is not only march in the street, but also march on ballot boxes,” she said, “because the reality is that protest is necessary to draw attention to inequities but voting is how we make those changes permanent.”  From launching a company to starting a day care center for homeless teen moms to running a successful political campaign, Abrams proves that identifying the issues you want to fight for is as critical as knowing how to turn ideas into action. Her newly released book, Our Time is Now, is a blueprint to end voter suppression and chronicles a chilling account of how the right to vote and the principles of democracy have been and continue to be under attack in the United States.

In February 2019, Abrams delivered the Democratic Party’s response to the president’s State of the Union Address.