On Wednesday, the Center for American Progress announced that former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams will join their board of directors.
Abrams served 11 years in the Georgia House of Representatives and seven as house minority leader. In 2018, she made history when she became the first African American woman to qualify and emerge as Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, where she won more votes than any other Democrat in the state’s history.
The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action.
“The entire American Progress organization is thrilled to welcome Stacey Abrams to the Center for American Progress’ board of directors,” said Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. “Throughout her career, Stacey Abrams has been a trailblazer. This year, as the first African American woman to be a major party’s nominee for governor, she inspired record turnout at the polls in Georgia and energized and galvanized progressives across the country.
“Throughout her career, she has worked on issues ranging from education to economic growth to voting rights,” Tanden’s statement continued. “As a member of our board of directors, Stacey will help steer CAP as we work to achieve our mission of improving the lives of all Americans.”
Abrams has founded multiple organizations devoted to voting rights, training, hiring young people of color, and tackling social issues at both the state and national levels. She is also a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Abrams is the 2012 recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award, and she is the first black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in the United States.
“I am honored to be joining the board of Center for American Progress,” Abrams said in a statement. “Led by the extraordinary Neera Tanden, CAP has been at the forefront of progressive policy development and activism for years. Together, we will find and support bold solutions on health care access, voting rights, the economy, and other critical issues our nation faces.
According to its website, CAP strives to develop new policy ideas, challenge the media to cover the issues that truly matter and shape the national debate. With policy teams in major issue areas, CAP believes they are able to think creatively at the intersection of traditional boundaries to develop ideas for policymakers that lead to meaningful change.
