If elected, Alsobrooks would become the first Black woman to ever represent the state of Maryland in the US Senate and only the fourth Black woman to ever serve. Just after her speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, she shared what the moment was like, her admiration for her friend and mentor Kamala Harris and the importance of this moment for Black women in politics.
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00:00I am here with Maryland Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks.
00:04If elected, you would become the first black woman to represent the great state of Maryland in the Senate.
00:11This is a major moment for you. You got to make that speech tonight.
00:14What did that mean to you? Tell me how you were feeling and just to be in that moment and be able to share that with this national audience.
00:21Oh my god, it was a huge moment. You know, the first line of the speech said,
00:25People like me don't make it to the Senate, but we should.
00:30And that was really representative, not just of me, but all of the people like me.
00:36So many women, women of color, you know, recognizing that we've only elected two to the Senate and only had three serve so far.
00:45And so it was a joy to go out on that stage and to represent so many people whose voices, I believe, have been underrepresented or unrepresented in the Senate.
00:54And it was a great moment.
00:56And so one of those women that actually served in the U.S. Senate is Vice President Kamala Harris, who is at the top of the Democratic Party's ticket now.
01:05And it's poised to make history, just like you are poised to make history if elected.
01:11What does it mean for you to be in that moment where you could potentially be in the Senate,
01:19along with Kamala Harris as potentially being the president, along with another Black woman who may be able to represent the state of Delaware?
01:27Oh my god, you know what? I'm so grateful. It's more than I could have imagined.
01:32Really, when I initially announced my candidacy for Senate last year, there were no Black women in the Senate.
01:38And I didn't know that in this election cycle we would have the opportunity to vote for Kamala Harris for president.
01:45So it's exciting beyond what I can express.
01:48And I'm just so motivated to continue working, not only for my own election, but we've got to get Kamala Harris elected to president.
01:56And I think that our country is in good hands.
02:00And the joy that has really caught hold across the country is evidence of the fact that the country is ready for this kind of new leadership.
02:08They are ready to move forward and to move past Donald Trump, but certainly ready for Kamala Harris.
02:14You used your primetime moment tonight to not only talk about yourself, but to share personal stories about Kamala Harris.
02:21You also used the moment to really talk about and share some of the issues that you hope to really address.
02:26Talk to our audience a little bit about some of those key issues with the economy, with women's right to choose,
02:33and some of the other issues that are so central to your campaign for Senate.
02:37You know, economic opportunity, I think, is the number one issue for most families.
02:42And part of what you heard me talk about, her Back on Track program recognized that people need opportunity, that they need job training.
02:51You notice that the apprenticeships, the other things that are needed.
02:54And this is a focus that I have also had as county executive and will continue to do, making sure that opportunity is there.
03:02I call it the first chance.
03:03You know, we often talk about people in the criminal justice system who are looking for second chances.
03:07And I recognize many of those people never had the first chance at success.
03:11So investing in affordable housing, investing in jobs and growing income, investing in the health care of people,
03:18making sure that people have the opportunity to make their own health care decisions,
03:22that women have the freedom to do that really is core to our success in this country, is core to us experiencing the American dream.
03:29And I recognize that.
03:30And I know that that Vice President Harris does as well, is that those investments have to happen early and often for us to really have the fair shot at the American dream that we deserve.
03:42You use this national moment also to talk about when you first were able to read about Kamala Harris in Essence magazine, a 2009 article.
03:51For you to take that to the national stage.
03:54There's so many people who are commenting right now about this not only being a moment for you and so proud of that moment for you, but also for Black voters.
04:02Why was this so key for you to include Black media and speak about that moment, particularly it being in Essence, to share with the audience tonight?
04:11Well, you know what? It was an authentic inclusion for me because I have read Essence magazine.
04:17I've grown up with Essence magazine.
04:19I have just so enjoyed the stories that have been covered.
04:22They've been very informative.
04:24In this case, for example, I did literally learn about Kamala Harris and her book, Smart on Crime, in Essence magazine.
04:32And it caused me, it really did inspire me.
04:35I was running for office that year.
04:37And as a result of that article, I thought that something else was possible.
04:41I shared it with my community, what restorative justice was happening in San Francisco.
04:46And the rest has been history.
04:48But Essence magazine, Black journalism deserves to be centered in the way that it was tonight.
04:53Because for so many of us, it really has been a source of information and pride and inspiration.
04:59And it was just, you know, it was very, it was just natural for me to share that because it was so true.
05:05I love Essence magazine.
05:07For anyone who's not here tonight, is not able to feel the energy and the joy, as you described, that we're feeling right now.
05:14How would you sum up tonight and just being here in Chicago for the 2024 Democratic National Convention?
05:20You know, it's what hope feels like.
05:22You know, when you can feel that something great is on the verge of happening, when it's right there at your fingertips.
05:29You can see it.
05:30You can feel it.
05:30You can smell it.
05:31I think that's what the audience felt, is the real feeling of hope.
05:35You know, the joy is there as well.
05:37But that joy came from us being able to see, you know, I talked about joy cometh in the morning.
05:44That after we have seen the dark period, you know, we can see the joy right around the corner and feel the hope.
05:49And that's what felt like in the arena tonight.
05:52Well, thank you so much.
05:52We'll be following the journey.
05:54Couple, just what, two, about two months left, two months left.