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https://www.essence.com/news/black-women-in-politics-rep-lisa-blunt-rochester/
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images 
Lisa Blunt Rochester is no stranger to making history. Eight years ago, she became the first Black person and first woman elected to Congress from Delaware, as reported by the 19th. Now, she’s poised to do it again with her campaign to become the first Black woman to represent Delaware in the Senate.
The wind is at Blunt Rochester’s back, with current polls showing her leading her Republican opponent by 20 points in a state that has consistently elected Democrats to the Senate since 2000. Blunt Rochester has also scored key endorsements from President Joe Biden and the current incumbent, Sen. Tom Carper, whom she worked for as a constituent relations caseworker and is retiring.
But as a Black woman with the weight of history on her shoulders, she’s taking nothing for granted. In an interview with the 19th, she said, “I still, as a Black woman, can look at how much a donor gives me and how much they give my white counterpart and see a disparity. I still deal with the issues of people’s expectations, and that’s good expectations and bad expectations,” she continued “I also think that there’s a level for me of responsibility. I care about this pipeline. Maybe other folks don’t have to think that way, but I do.”
Only three Black women have served in the U.S. Senate in its 235-year history. The first was Carol Moseley Braun, elected in 1992 to represent Illinois. The second was Vice President Kamala Harris, who was elected to represent California in 2016. The third is Laphonza Butler, who currently represents California and was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to finish the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term. Butler isn’t running to keep her seat.
If elected, Blunt Rochester and fellow Senate hopeful Prince George County, Maryland, Executive Angela Alsobrooks would become the first Black women senators to serve together. But while Blunt Rochester is aware of the historical significance of her campaign, that’s not her focus. In an ABC interview, she said, “I don’t really think about the history so much because, you know, my intention is to make a difference and to have an impact on people’s lives,” she added, “and should there be a history making moment, that’s great.”
Before deciding to run for Congress in 2016, Blunt Rochester was a recently-widowed 54 year old with no experience running for office. She said she was only able to afford to run because of the money she received from her late husband’s life insurance policy, but she overcame those odds to win her House seat. In an interview with ABC, she explained how her unique biography could serve both as an inspiration to others and as a roadmap of issues she wants to address:
“I think about the little girls, I think about those women who have been widowed or who are over 50,” she said. “For me to be able to represent and bring those lived experiences, the professional experiences, the policy issues. I mean, we know that Black women die from childbirth more than their white counterparts [and] have 43% more student loan debt than our white counterparts.”
Blunt Rochester also wants to tackle the concerns of all Delaware residents, including protecting healthcare access and the economy. In fact, she cites both of those issues as her motivation for wanting to run for Congress. Despite the country’s deep political polarization, Blunt Rochester believes in working across the aisle to get things done.
On November 5th, she could very well become Delaware’s first Black woman senator—but she doesn’t want to be the last. “I feel a deep responsibility to bridge the gap and build a pipeline to other women and underrepresented groups of people,” Blunt Rochester told the 19th. “For me, it’s about providing tangible, meaningful support to the next generation of leaders because it’s not enough to be a ‘first,’ it’s about giving back.”
TOPICS: 2024 Elections Lisa Blunt Rochester Paint The Polls Black
The post Black Women In Politics: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester Poised To Make History In Delaware’s Senate Race appeared first on Essence.
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Lisa Blunt Rochester is no stranger to making history. Eight years ago, she became the first Black person and first woman elected to Congress from Delaware, as reported by the 19th. Now, she’s poised to do it again with her campaign to become the first Black woman to represent Delaware in the Senate.
The wind is at Blunt Rochester’s back, with current polls showing her leading her Republican opponent by 20 points in a state that has consistently elected Democrats to the Senate since 2000. Blunt Rochester has also scored key endorsements from President Joe Biden and the current incumbent, Sen. Tom Carper, whom she worked for as a constituent relations caseworker and is retiring.
But as a Black woman with the weight of history on her shoulders, she’s taking nothing for granted. In an interview with the 19th, she said, “I still, as a Black woman, can look at how much a donor gives me and how much they give my white counterpart and see a disparity. I still deal with the issues of people’s expectations, and that’s good expectations and bad expectations,” she continued “I also think that there’s a level for me of responsibility. I care about this pipeline. Maybe other folks don’t have to think that way, but I do.”
Only three Black women have served in the U.S. Senate in its 235-year history. The first was Carol Moseley Braun, elected in 1992 to represent Illinois. The second was Vice President Kamala Harris, who was elected to represent California in 2016. The third is Laphonza Butler, who currently represents California and was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to finish the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term. Butler isn’t running to keep her seat.
If elected, Blunt Rochester and fellow Senate hopeful Prince George County, Maryland, Executive Angela Alsobrooks would become the first Black women senators to serve together. But while Blunt Rochester is aware of the historical significance of her campaign, that’s not her focus. In an ABC interview, she said, “I don’t really think about the history so much because, you know, my intention is to make a difference and to have an impact on people’s lives,” she added, “and should there be a history making moment, that’s great.”
Before deciding to run for Congress in 2016, Blunt Rochester was a recently-widowed 54 year old with no experience running for office. She said she was only able to afford to run because of the money she received from her late husband’s life insurance policy, but she overcame those odds to win her House seat. In an interview with ABC, she explained how her unique biography could serve both as an inspiration to others and as a roadmap of issues she wants to address:
“I think about the little girls, I think about those women who have been widowed or who are over 50,” she said. “For me to be able to represent and bring those lived experiences, the professional experiences, the policy issues. I mean, we know that Black women die from childbirth more than their white counterparts [and] have 43% more student loan debt than our white counterparts.”
Blunt Rochester also wants to tackle the concerns of all Delaware residents, including protecting healthcare access and the economy. In fact, she cites both of those issues as her motivation for wanting to run for Congress. Despite the country’s deep political polarization, Blunt Rochester believes in working across the aisle to get things done.
On November 5th, she could very well become Delaware’s first Black woman senator—but she doesn’t want to be the last. “I feel a deep responsibility to bridge the gap and build a pipeline to other women and underrepresented groups of people,” Blunt Rochester told the 19th. “For me, it’s about providing tangible, meaningful support to the next generation of leaders because it’s not enough to be a ‘first,’ it’s about giving back.”
TOPICS: 2024 Elections Lisa Blunt Rochester Paint The Polls BlackThe post Black Women In Politics: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester Poised To Make History In Delaware’s Senate Race appeared first on Essence.
Magic has long been a power held by some of Marvel’s mightiest heroes. At the center of heightened conversation at the moment is Agatha Harkness as she is the main subject of Disney+’s Agatha All Along. She was first introduced to us in WandaVision alongside Wanda Maximoff, also known as Scarlet Witch. With the two being the focus of fun and successful series, it’s important to note that Wanda and Agatha aren’t alone in the world of witches. They belong to an elite group of strong women that each have their unique qualities. Let’s take a look at some of the fierce witches of the Marvel Universe.
SATANA HELLSTROM
Considered to be the Devil’s daughter, Satana Hellstorm is a succubus who drains souls to survive with a preference for men. She eventually learns that the more souls she consumes, the more powerful she becomes, and she can enslave men by feeding on them. Satana was once a part of a trio known as the Witches that included Topaz and Jennifer Kale after Doctor Strange sent her back to Earth. She also has ties to Deadpool as she tapped him to assist her with locating her immortal soul (he later proposed to her and the two got married, only for her to leave him when her soul was found). Given her connection to Wade Wilson, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if Satana makes an appearance in a future MCU project. Although it was long overdue, Deadpool & Wolverine was Wilson’s introduction into the larger cinematic universe, so we can definitely expect to see more of him.
MAGIK
Illyana Rasputin, also known as Magik, grew up in Russia but was kidnapped and brought to America. She’s the little sister to Colossus, and her mutant powers allow her to travel through time and teleport to anywhere in the world. Illyana has been part of the X-Men as a highly skilled mystic as well as Professor Xavier’s group of young protégés, the New Mutants (she was portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy in a film adaptation that was poorly received). If her opponents are any indication of her power, she once defeated Doctor Strange in a battle of Sorcerers Supreme, a feat many have not achieved in their lifetime. Leaving readers shocked at how this was possible, New Mutants #25 explains how the loss occurred, detailing the laundry list of magical tomes Rasputin has collected from Belasco, the demon who once ruled the realm.
MORGAN LE FAY
Created by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely, Morgan le Fay is a magical enchantress with ties to King Arthur. She sought to merge the Dark Dimension with Earth and was once in love with Doctor Doom (could we see her as Robert Downey Jr.’s love interest in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday?). Noted as one of Marvel’s most powerful female villains, she can manipulate the environment and wreak havoc due to her training and faerie heritage. Elizabeth Hurley played the enchantress in Runaways, which ran from 2017 to 2019 on Hulu. The abilities she was born with are endless, from removing spirits from their bodies to being a master of the mystic arts to virtual immortality.
LORE
Lore is a variant of Wanda Maximoff who is incredibly sinister as she blocks the path back to the land of the living. She has the power to rise from the dead and did so herself to face the Scarlet Witch. Hailing from Earth-TRN 955, Lore feeds off of the energy from other worlds through her sorcery and absorbs the mystical power she comes across. Lore is the darkest version of Maximoff and quite the entertaining storyline to follow. This summer, we got a new solo series for Scarlet Witch written by Steve Orlando featuring art from Jacopo Camagni, in which Lore makes an appearance in the #3 issue. While there are a bunch of Marvel heroes who have said their goodbyes and most likely won’t reprise their roles, Elizabeth Olsen is not one of those. This leaves the opportunity for a Lore vs. Scarlet Witch face off to be on the table. The only question is who would make a solid casting choice for the dark counterpart?
NICO MINORU
Also known as Sister Grimm, Nico Minoru is part of the Runaways and wields the ability to fly as well as telekinesis. While powerful in her own right, she has little training and relies heavily on Staff of One, a weapon based on Gibborim technology that Minoru inherited. As one of the few American superheroes of Japanese descent, she was featured in Avengers Arena and Avengers Undercover and later joined Marvel’s first all-female Avengers team, A-Force (some other members include She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, and Medusa). One of the cooler powers she possesses is her ability to bend magic when she bleeds through the staff that emerges from her chest. While we haven’t gotten a feature film that features Nico, there was a series on Hulu appropriately titled The Runaways that featured Lyrica Okano in the role.
The post Agatha Isn’t All Alone: Witches of the Marvel Universe appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Pepsi/Noah Fecks
Law Roach is everywhere right now. And for good reason, the multi-hyphenate has entered an era where he’s shining brightly. His latest feat? A collaborative capsule with Pepsi that is currently available for pre-order online as of today. When the celebrity stylist and image architect is tasked with describing how he feels about being a part of the Pepsi lineage he shares he’s always had a connection with the brand. “I remember the excitement of seeing the outfits of the Pepsi delivery drivers and the joy of watching those commercials with my grandfather,” he shared in an email. These are all the reasons that the new collaboration comes naturally to Law.
“I’m thrilled to kick off this new wave with the brand, especially with this collection that is designed to celebrate individuality and capture the essence of a new Pepsi generation,” he adds. Let’s not forget stars who once co-signed Pepsi including the legends Michael Jackson and Beyoncé—now Law proudly joins that number.
Pepsi/Noah Fecks The capsule highlights a fusion of the brand’s classic appeal and Roach’s avant-gardesrc="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Credit-Pepsi-Noah-Fecks-2.jpeg" alt="Law Roach On The Capsule Collection He Designed With Pepsi Inspired By The ‘70s" width="400" height="225" />Pepsi/Noah Fecks
Law also shared that right now is the perfect moment for him to fully immerse himself in all of his creative outlets. This points to how this line embodies his ongoing expansive era. He shared that when collaborating with Pepsi on this fashion collection he wanted to craft pieces that celebrate the past and also resonate with the present. So basically he’s urging Gen Z to tap in with his latest endeavor.
“The Pepsi brand has been a cultural trendsetter for over 125 years, and design has always been an essential element of that journey,” said Jenny Danzi, Head of Pepsi Marketing. “Between the delicious, bold flavor and eye-popping design of our Pepsi Wild Cherry and PepsiZero SugarWild Cherry, it’s no surprise it’s one of our most craved colas.”
The Pepsi X Law Roach collection is available for pre-sale starting today on PepsibyLawRoach.com, with items ranging from $19-$199. Sizes span from XS-2XL and will ship in early 2025. Take a look at the pieces from the capsule below.
Pepsi/Noah Fecks
Pepsi/Noah Fecks
Pepsi/Noah FecksTOPICS: law roachThe post Law Roach On The Capsule Collection He Designed With Pepsi Inspired By The ‘70s appeared first on Essence.