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The history-making first-term Senator talks legacy, purpose and building generational power in politics.
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00:00I want women to continue to be active and engaged, not just in national politics, but go out and run
00:06for school board. I want you running like crazy for county councils and city councils and mayors
00:11and other positions. Our mere presence in these rooms changes the discussion. You've heard it
00:17from my mouth to the ears of all of your listeners. Your representation matters and Black women are
00:24winning big. As SN celebrates its 55th anniversary, we continue to spotlight the impactful contributions
00:36of Black women across sectors. Today, we turn our attention to those shaping the future of
00:43American politics. Amongst these trailblazers is Senator Angela Oslo Brooks, who made history
00:49in 2024 when she was elected as Maryland's first Black U.S. Senator. Her career in public
00:57service includes breaking barriers as Prince George's County's first woman to be the state's
01:03attorney and later as the first Black woman to serve and be elected as the county executive
01:09in Maryland's history. Now serving her first term in the U.S. Senate, she continues to advocate
01:16for her constituents, but now on a national stage. Senator Oslo Brooks, thank you so much
01:21for joining us today.
01:22Oh, thank you so much for having me. And you know what? And happy birthday to Essence
01:28Magazine. As you said, 55 years. I think about how special that is, is that I have been able
01:34to grow up with Essence Magazine, having been in existence my entire life. And I've just really
01:41benefited so much from the coverage over the years. And so thank you so much for interviewing
01:45me today.
01:46Yeah, it's a pleasure to really be here with you. And, you know, we thought it was really
01:51important to not only, you know, to spotlight women across sectors. And we know that politics
01:57is a huge part of that. And when we see Black women, particularly in the political realm, and
02:03how your voices have, you know, really helped shape a generation of how people show up to
02:10the polls and beyond. And so we talked a little bit about the fact that you have broken barriers
02:17throughout your career, culminating in your historic election to the U.S. Senate. When you
02:23reflect on that moment, on that journey, what does this chapter represent for you personally
02:30and for the communities that you serve?
02:34Well, you know, it has been such a privilege and a real blessing to have been in service
02:41now for, this is my 28th year. I started in 1997 as the first full-time domestic violence
02:50prosecutor to work in the county where I have grown up. And that beginning in service really
02:57has grown into a career that has allowed me in so many ways to care for the very people
03:03who made these opportunities possible. And now with my recent election in the Senate, gives
03:09me the great opportunity not only to serve there in that county, but to represent my state.
03:15And I really believe that there is so much significance in having the opportunity to be a face that the
03:21whole nation can look at, that people from every walk of life, and most especially Black women,
03:27now know as a matter of fact that this is possible. It's not just, you know, that maybe it is, I think
03:33the election, and this election represented only the third time in our country's history that we have
03:39elected a Black woman to the United States Senate. But it did cement, I hope, in the minds of young women
03:47and middle-aged and older women alike, that it is in fact possible to be able to be included in ways
03:55that will help, I think, benefit our communities for generations to come.
04:00Yeah, thank you for that. And when it comes to that representation in media, what role would you say
04:07Black media has played in being able to amplify, you know, the journeys of women like yourself
04:13in politics? And to your point about Essence being, you know, around through every step of that
04:19journey, how has that actually played into amplifying the work that you've done over these
04:24last, you know, almost three decades now? Well, you know what, I'm going to give you a very specific
04:30example. Essence Magazine, I read it in 2009, when it highlighted a woman whose name was Kamala Harris,
04:38or his name is Kamala Harris, and talked about this book that she had written called Smart on Crime.
04:45It covered her, it talked about the fact that she was an emerging leader, that she had this really
04:50unique perspective that said that we can both focus on stopping violent crime and also making
04:57the kinds of investments that would make it impossible for crime to happen in the first place.
05:01And for me, this was transformational. I thought, oh my God, who is this woman? This is incredible.
05:05And as I launched my own career, that very, my own campaign that year, I did so really looking to
05:14Kamala Harris as a model for what I thought was possible. And I learned about her in Essence Magazine.
05:20I did go on to win that race. And following the race a couple of days after I won it, I got a call
05:26from Kamala Harris, who heard that I was talking all about her in Maryland, and about this great program
05:31that I wanted to replicate. And she called and said, hey, look, I'm here. And I want to support
05:36you. Tell me what I can do. I flew out to California to meet with her to talk about what
05:41she had done as district attorney in San Francisco. And the rest is history. She's now a really good
05:46friend, a great friend. She's been a role model and mentor. And it is my great hope that someone
05:52reading your article will also be able to look to me and say, you know what, I'm going to do,
05:58you know, I'm going to, I'm going to know now that I can do that work as well. But that's what
06:03the black media outlets do for us is I would have never known about Kamala Harris, who at the time
06:10became attorney general, if it had not been for Essence Magazine.
06:14I mean, now that you spoke about that at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 2024,
06:18you spoke about that moment, reading about Kamala Harris and, you know, in your Senate journey,
06:24how do you hope that amplification, not only of your story, but of the stories of other women like
06:31Kamala Harris and those who may be unknown at this time, but how do you hope black media can continue
06:36to amplify these journeys as it's important for, you know, people to know, like, not just what's
06:42happening nationally, but what may be happening in their own backyard, their states, their cities,
06:46their counties.
06:49So, you know, that's a great question. Let me just answer it this way. I want every black woman reading
06:53right now about my story and comparing it to where we are in our country's history to get the distinct
07:00message that we are not only needed right now in our communities, in our country, but that we're
07:05winning. The story of Kamala Harris and of my own story, and I know you also talked to Senator Lisa
07:11Blunt Rochester, is a story of success made possible by the women reading your magazine. What I mean by
07:18that is, really, we went 30 years where we didn't, we only had only elected one black woman to the
07:24Senate. Because of the engagement of so many women, and black women in particular, we not only elected
07:32Kamala Harris as the second senator and the first vice president, who was a woman of any background to
07:39our country, but we then went on in this past election cycle and elected not one, but two African
07:44American women to the Senate. And so these are historic accomplishments. It's also further evidence
07:52that our engagement does matter, and that we're winning. That's a message I hope you write. Because
07:58the lies have told us that the efforts of black women over the last few years have been futile. And I think
08:04that this is the biggest lie ever told. Everyone watching knows that when we mobilize and come together
08:10and organize and support each other, great things happen. So I want women to continue to be active
08:15and engaged, not just in national politics, but go out and run for school board. I want you running
08:21like crazy for county councils and city councils and mayors and other positions. Because it's not just that
08:27our elections matter, but our mere presence in these rooms changes the discussion. And we have to be a
08:34part of these discussions if we are going to change the trajectory of our country for our families.
08:39So I want to send the signal to, you've heard it from my mouth, to the ears of all of your listeners,
08:46your representation matters and black women are winning big.
08:50When black women are winning big, I think, you know, with that, it's important that we kind of touch on
08:59when you think about the future of black women in politics, you know, there's been, as you mentioned,
09:04such an increased momentum, engagement, black women are winning when they are running for office.
09:09What do you see or what do you hope will be that future of black women in politics as it continues
09:15to evolve? Are there any things as you see it that black women will kind of, that you, in your mind,
09:22black women will kind of trend towards or what you see as a trajectory for black women in politics?
09:27Well, I can tell you what my own trajectory is, I hope, is I see my goal as really creating
09:39opportunity and economic opportunity in particular to create prosperity. That's something we don't talk
09:45enough about is about prosperity and what that looks like for our communities. In other words, you know,
09:52I believe that we have to continue to work towards social justice, but that social justice, I think,
09:59is amplified by advances and accomplishments in the areas of economic prosperity. So that when we talk
10:07about all businesses, access to capital, when we talk about acquiring home ownership and making sure that
10:14we do the things to create generational wealth, then that will help us to also wipe out some of the
10:19other challenges that confront our communities, much of which is connected to economic opportunity.
10:26Your health is connected, unfortunately, to that prosperity, making sure that we are eliminating food
10:32deserts and we have access to healthy foods and health care. All of those things, I think, come about
10:37as a result of economic prosperity. And so I want to see more people get involved. And when you get involved,
10:43make sure that you are involved on every level, get involved in understanding what technology is going
10:49to mean to us, innovation, how we can be a part of the conversations around growing our communities
10:56economically, it's going to be really important to our success. And it's going to be a part of making
11:02sure that we are at the table in the future. Having us at the table in the future really starts with what
11:09we're seeing right now. And we know that at this time, you know, for the first time in our history
11:15as a country, we have two Black women who are currently serving in the US Senate. As we mentioned
11:20earlier, you are serving alongside Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, each of you bringing unique experience
11:27and perspective to the table. How do you view the significance of this moment in history? And what
11:33does it mean to you to serve alongside another Black woman in this space?
11:41Oh my God, let me tell you, I love serving with Lisa Blunt Rochester, who I refer to as my sister
11:47senator. And she refers to me in the same way. There is something powerful about walking the chamber and
11:53knowing that I am not alone. And by that, I mean, you know, a person who shared your experience,
11:58there are certain discussions that don't even have to happen. We sat down and had lunch very early on,
12:03talked about our children and our families, but there are certain shared aspects of our experiences
12:09that bond us without words being exchanged. We support each other implicitly. And I'm very proud
12:16of her, but I'm also grateful to all of the women who made our elections possible. We had women like
12:23Higher Heights come to support us. We had the Black Women's Round Table who rallied like crazy. We had
12:29the Divine Nine step in and make this possible. So we were very well supported, not only by our
12:35communities in Delaware and Maryland, but I'm going to tell you that people mobilized Black people all
12:41across our country, and in particular, Black women who were dead serious about raising the money,
12:46about organizing, about getting on social media, about doing everything that was necessary to make
12:52sure that we were successful in our elections. And again, that's why I want Black women in particular to
12:57feel hopeful and to have women and others feel hopeful about what it looks like for us to enter these
13:03races, to know that we can win when we mobilize, organize, bring our resources together. We can
13:10certainly win, and we are winning, and we're going to continue to win in the future.
13:14And thank you for that. And she and Senator Blunt Rochester did mention you as her sister
13:20senator and said, sometimes you don't have to say a word. It's just, you can give a look,
13:25and it's understood. That shared, those shared, some of those shared experiences,
13:30and I totally got that right away. Yeah, I got to tell you a funny story. So we have a senator's
13:37bathroom, a senator-only bathroom, and the two of us came out of the restroom and said, okay,
13:42they have mouthwash. They got everything else. Where's the lotion? I mean, you know,
13:47we're together, we're like, there's something missing in that bathroom. There's no hand lotion
13:52in that bathroom. Our hands need some lotion, you know? Our skin needs some lotion. So we're
13:58so lucky, and we both know the same thing. So yeah, some of this stuff doesn't have to even,
14:03does not require words. It's just a shared experience.
14:07When you think about legacy, Senator Also Brooks, what does it mean to you? And how would you say
14:13you are kind of shaping the things that you would hope to be yours? You've been doing this a really
14:19long time, but definitely you're a first term in the Senate, so a lot more to go.
14:26So when I think about legacy, you know, I think about my grandmother. Her name was Sarah Daisy.
14:31Some people have heard me talk about her, the person who taught herself to type
14:36on the refrigerator in her kitchen by putting a white piece of paper on the refrigerator.
14:40She aspired to work in the federal government, and I'm sure at the time she had no idea that I
14:48would not only come behind her and support the federal workforce and to be a part of what we're
14:52doing in Washington, but that I would serve in one of the highest positions in government,
14:57which is in the Senate. And so I say that to say that I think it should be the goal of every one
15:04of us that every successive generation should do better than the one that came before it.
15:08So it is my hope that my 19 year old daughter and all of her peers are looking out and recognizing
15:15that they will not only, I don't want it to be the case that they are just kind of succeeding on
15:20the margins. I want them to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. That's our assignment,
15:25is to knock down these systemic barriers that prevent our kids from opening any door. I want
15:31every door to be open to our kids. That means the doors to great health care and access to it,
15:37the doors to be able to use their gifts and talents in any arena they so decide, whether it's
15:44medicine, research, law, business, any area that they want to, I want them to acquire homes and to
15:51pass on wealth to their children. And for us not to be afraid of the word wealth, I want wealth and
15:57prosperity to be able to be a realistic expectation for generations to come, as well as to have the kind
16:05of peace that comes in knowing that you have been able to not be blocked in using your gifts and
16:11talents. So legacy to me means every generation should do better than the one before it. And
16:17that's what I'm working toward. I want to be, I want it to be of no consequence that we're elected
16:23to the Senate. I want it to be a foregone conclusion. And not that there are two women in the Senate,
16:28but that there are multiple black women in the Senate. That it becomes a norm, you know, of some
16:34sorts to have black women in the Senate or in serving in other, other roles across the government.
16:40And with that, I just wanted to ask you what advice you, so you gave a little bit there with
16:49what you would hope to see for the next generation, people of your daughter's age, who's 19,
16:54for young women who may be interested in, you know, public service, or just in any field,
17:02and they're just not sure where to start, what would you say to them on how to just get started?
17:08Because sometimes that's all you need is to get going.
17:12It is. Well, you know, I'm going to give some advice that I gave to my own daughter,
17:16who came to me right before she left for college. She is a student at Spelman College,
17:22as a matter of fact. And before she left for college, she came to me and said, I'm not sure
17:27what job I'd like to get. And she was deeply concerned about that. And I said to her, you know,
17:33your assignment is not finding a job, it's finding your life's purpose. And a way to get there is to
17:38identify the thing you love and then pursue that with everything you have. For some people that will
17:43be a career in public service. That's what it was for me is just recognizing I love people and wanted
17:49to spend every day of my life trying to find a way to improve the condition for other people. And I've
17:55been so lucky to be able to find that. But to find the thing that you love, to do it with everything
18:01you have. And then, you know, to also be aware as a cautionary tale, that becoming successful means
18:08that you have to also become intimately familiar with the feeling of being uncomfortable. I can't
18:13tell you how many times during the course of this journey, I have felt the familiar feeling of being just
18:19uncomfortable, that it has been so challenging at times, that I had to live in a space of discomfort.
18:25And you know what, I made friends with discomfort. Because I know that, that when you are on the edge
18:31of a breakthrough, you sometimes feel uncomfortable. And that in some ways is how you know you're headed
18:37in the right direction, is that the level of the challenge also tells you in some instances,
18:43the level of breakthrough and respecting the importance of what you're undertaking. So don't
18:49be discouraged by discomfort. This stuff is not easy. Putting your sign out and running for office,
18:55putting your name out there, putting your time on the line is very challenging, but it is worth it.
19:00I have enjoyed, I have enjoyed all 28 years of my time in public service. And I feel in many ways
19:08like we're still just getting started. Yeah, still so much to do. Well, Senator
19:13Austin Brooks, I want to be conscious of time. And I want to thank you so much for just sharing with us,
19:19especially for this anniversary issue. We are really happy to be able to spotlight, you know,
19:26black women across different sectors, but particularly in the political arena where we have seen so much
19:31momentum and evolution. And we really are grateful that we had an opportunity to sit down with you today.
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