Cori Bush Is Missouri's First Black Woman In Congress

Cori Bush is making history in Missouri as she’s become the first Black woman representing the state in Congress.

Bush, a 44-year-old single mother of two, defeated Republican Anthony Rogers and Libertarian Alex Furman to win Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.

After winning, Bush tweeted a photo of herself crossing her arms and the caption “The First.”

Bush’s history-making win was not a surprise after she defeated incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. in the Democratic primary in August, ending the political dynasty of the Lacy Clay family, which has represented the heavily Democratic St. Louis-area 1st District for over 50 years.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics, Bush is just one of at least 115 women of color running for Congress, which is a record.

Bush made a name for herself as a progresive activist who protested in the St. Louis area after Michael Brown, a Black 18-year-old, was shot by Ferguson, Missouri police in 2014.

“I’m taking my own lived experience to Congress, and what so many people in my community have gone through where they have felt, you know, neglected, under-represented, just not heard,” she recently told Good Morning America. “I’m not going to stop being an activist just because I’ll be in Congress.”