Raphael Warnock

I am from Georgia, so politics in the South are usually on my mind. Being a political writer, politics is usually on my mind against my wishes. A couple articles ago, I mentioned Raphael Warnock winning a seat in the U.S. Senate with the Democratic Party. I just want to explain more about who he is and why this is monumental.

Reverend Raphael Warnock was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1969. He was raised in public housing for most of his childhood and was heavily inspired by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He graduated from university in 1991 with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology.

Raphael Warnock’s election into the Senate is monumental because he is the first black representative Georgia has ever elected to the Senate. On top of that, because of his victory, the Democratic party has turned Georgia into a blue state for the first time since 1992. It is common knowledge that the South has a history of racism. Warnock’s election is a sign that this long history of racism could be coming to an end.

Warnock’s election means that he is being added to the list of black politicians in the U.S. government. Warnock now stands among the likes of Kamala Harris, the first black woman vice president, Cory Booker, the first African American to represent New Jersey, and Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States of America.

The United States has only elected a little over 150 black representatives in its 244 years of history. Warnock’s election is important as it pairs with Kamala Harris’s election, boosting representation of African American politicians. Currently, there are only a little over 50 black politicians seated in the government in DC.

Alexander Nesmith is a junior

communication major

from Calhoun, Ga.