Representative Hakeem Jeffries
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On Tuesday, January 3, 2023, Hakeem Jeffries became the first Black person to lead a party in the United States Congress. As the leader of the Democratic Party in Congress, Jeffries will fill the role formerly held by Representative Nancy Pelosi, who was speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives since 2003. His success was overshadowed by the dramatic chaos of Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy’s campaign to be elected Speaker of the House, which continued for days for the first time in a century. In 2022, the Democratic Caucus of the House of Representatives elected Jeffries minority leader. Jeffries became a member of the House in 2013. He represents a district of New York that includes the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.

A Brooklyn native, Hakeem Sekou Jeffries was born on Aug. 4, 1970. His father was a substance abuse counselor, and his mother was a social worker. Jeffries graduated from New York’s Binghamton University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He continued his studies, earning a master’s degree in public policy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Jeffries returned to New York City to enroll in the New York University School of Law, graduating with honors in 1997.

After law school, Jeffries clerked for Judge Harold Baer, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He then practiced law at a private firm. He later served as litigation counsel for the media companies Viacom Inc. and CBS. Jeffries ran for the New York State Assembly in 2000 and 2002, losing to the incumbent Roger Green. When Green vacated the post in 2006, Jeffries ran and won the election, serving in the role for three terms.

In 2012, Jeffries was elected to his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Budget Committee. In 2018, Jeffries was appointed to serve as the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus for the 116th Congress. In 2020, he served as impeachment manager for the Senate trial of former President Donald Trump. Jeffries’s political priorities include criminal justice reform and economic and health care security.

For the first time in 233 years, Native American, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian all in U.S. House. From left to right: Reps. Kaialiʻi Kahele, Mary Peltola and Sharice Davids.
Credit: Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele via Twitter

People in the United States observe Native American Heritage Month each year in November. During this period, many Native tribes celebrate their cultures, histories, and traditions. It is also a time to raise awareness of the challenges Indigenous people have faced in the past and today, along with their contributions to the United States as its first inhabitants.

Representation is important. For centuries, Indigenous Americans have not been represented in powerful positions in the United States government. This fall, that changed. When Representative Mary Peltola was elected as representative for Alaska. Peltola became the first woman and first native Alaskan to serve in the role. She joined the ranks of seven Indigenous Americans in Congress. This session also marks the first time a native Hawaiian, Native American, and Native Alaskan have served together. Representative Kaiali‘i Kahele a native Hawaiian for Hawaii, Representative Sharice Davids of the Ho-Chunk nation for Kansas, and Peltola celebrated the monumental accomplishment with a photo together.

Four years ago, Sharice Davids and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland became the first two Indigenous women elected to Congress. The recent increase in representation will allow issues affecting the Indigenous communities more airtime in front of Congress, a path to better solutions.

For example, Congress members will have the power to voice concerns regarding how the federal government interacts with Indigenous Americans day to day. The Supreme Court met to debate a case involving the Indian Child Welfare Act, a law that requires the government to notify tribes if an Indigenous child is removed from a home and give preference to tribe members for foster placement of the child. Also in the news, the Cherokee nation is asking Congress to fulfill a 187-year-old promise of seating a Cherokee delegate permanently in Congress. The promise was made in the Treaty of New Echota signed in 1835.

The other Indigenous Americans currently serving in Congress include Representative Tom Cole of the Chickasaw nation for Oklahoma, Representative Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan for the Northern Mariana Islands, Representative Markwayne Mullin of the Cherokee nation for Oklahoma, Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen for American Samoa, and Yvette Herrell of the Cherokee nation for New Mexico.

British politician Rishi Sunak
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Today, Tuesday, October 25, 2022, Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, has become the 57th prime minister of the United Kingdom. Sunak was the only candidate for the Conservative party following former Prime Minister Liz Truss’ resignation after only seven weeks in office. Sunak pushed for the removal of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson from office this past summer. Sunak made history as the first prime minister of color for the United Kingdom. As a son of Indian parents who moved to the United Kingdom from East Africa in the 1960’s, Sunak is also the first Hindu and first British Indian to serve in the role. At 42 years old, he is also the youngest person to become prime minister since 1812.

Sunak is tasked with cleaning up the British economy after the plan proposed by Truss sparked panic across the country. Sunak is experienced in finance as former Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Exchequer is a department in the Treasury of the United Kingdom. It collects, manages, and spends government funds. The department is controlled by the Treasury Board, which is composed of the prime minister (called the first lord of the treasury), the chancellor of the exchequer, and five junior lords. The chancellor is the minister of finance, and is always a Cabinet member. The chancellor prepares the annual budget. The budget contains proposed government expenditures and a program for raising money to meet these expenditures.

Britain is currently in a financial whirlwind after former Prime Minister Liz Truss reversed plans to cut taxes by 45 billion pounds, after the proposal upset lawmakers and caused the British pound to plummet. Sunak addressed the instability and proposed spending cuts to battle the highest inflation Britain has seen in 40 years.

After meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, Sunak formally became Britain’s fifth prime minister in six years. He vowed to bring economic stability and confidence to the British government. Since Sunak became prime minister after the resignation, he did not detail his policy plans in campaigns. He secured the premier position without formally addressing his stance on the war in Ukraine, Britain’s relationship with the European Union after Brexit, immigration, or climate change.

Kamala Harris
Credit: California Attorney General’s Office

March is Women’s History Month, an annual observance of women’s achievements and contributions to society. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature woman pioneers in a variety of areas. 

Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams have reshaped the American political landscape not only for women and people of color, but for all Americans. Regardless of political affiliation, both have opened doors for women, rising to new heights in government and politics.

Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California, on Oct. 20, 1964. Her mother, a physician and cancer specialist, was born in India. Her father, who was born in Jamaica, became an economics professor. In 1986, Harris received a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Howard University. In 1989, she earned a law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

From 1990 to 1998, Harris served as deputy district attorney for Alameda County, in California. In 1998, she became the managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2000, she was named to lead the San Francisco City Attorney’s Division on Families and Children.

In 2003, Harris won election as San Francisco district attorney. She was reelected in 2007 and served through 2010. Her victory in the 2010 campaign for state attorney general marked the first time that a woman and—because of her mixed ethnicity—a person of Black and South Asian ancestry won the post. Harris took office in 2011. As attorney general, she gained attention for her work to combat transnational gangs and investigate banks that engaged in mortgage fraud. She was reelected in 2014 and served until 2017.

In June 2016, Harris finished first in California’s open primary for a U.S. Senate seat. She defeated Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, a fellow Democrat, in the November election. As a U.S. senator, Harris served on a number of committees, including the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

In January 2019, Harris began a campaign for her party’s 2020 nomination for president. She dropped out of the race in December 2019, while trailing her competitors in fundraising and in support in public opinion polls.

In August 2020, Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, named Harris his vice presidential running mate. Issues in the campaign included the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and tensions between Black communities and police. Biden and Harris won the November 2020 election. Harris resigned her Senate seat in January 2021, days before she and Biden took office. On Jan. 20, 2021, Harris became the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States. She also became the first person of Black and South Asian ancestry to serve in the position.

Stacey Abrams
Credit: © Cheriss May, NurPhoto/Getty Images

Stacey Abrams also played a major role in the 2020 election. Get-out-the-vote drives championed by Abrams are widely credited with helping Biden and Harris to win the state of Georgia. They are also said to have helped two Democrats to victory in state runoff elections, tipping the balance of the U.S. Senate.

Stacey Yvonne Abrams was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on Dec. 9, 1973. She grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi. When Abrams was 16, her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. In 1991, Abrams graduated from Avondale High School, where she was the first Black valedictorian. The valedictorian is the graduate with the highest marks. In 1995, she graduated magna cum laude (with great honor) from Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies. The major combined political science, economics, and sociology. She then attended the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, receiving a master’s degree in public policy in 1998. The next year, Abrams earned her J.D. degree from the law school of Yale University.

After graduating law school, Abrams began working at a law firm in Atlanta. In 2003, she started her career in government. She became the deputy attorney for the city of Atlanta’s law department. In 2006, Abrams was elected to Georgia’s House of Representatives from the state’s 84th district.

After four years as a representative, Abrams was chosen by the Democratic Party to serve as minority leader in the House of Representatives of Georgia. She became the first woman to serve as leader of either party in the Georgia General Assembly, the state’s legislature.

In 2018, she became the first Black woman nominated by a major political party to run for governor of Georgia. In the primary contest, Abrams defeated the Democrat Stacey Evans. But, in the general election, she was narrowly defeated by the Republican candidate Brian Kemp.

In addition to holding political office, Abrams has founded several political organizations. In 2014, she founded the New Georgia Project to counteract challenges to voter rights and increased barriers to voter registration. In 2018, she founded Fair Fight, an organization promoting voter education and fair elections.

July 29, 2019

On July 30, 1619, 400 years ago tomorrow, the House of Burgesses met for the first time in Jamestown, the first capital of the English colony of Virginia. The House of Burgesses was the first representative legislative body in colonial America. Governor Sir George Yeardley called the meeting in the choir of the Jamestown Church. The session included two citizens, or burgesses, from each of the 11 boroughs (subdivisions) of Virginia. They discussed such topics as land ownership, taxes, rules for personal conduct, and relations with the local Powhatan Native Americans. An oppressive heatwave cut short the first session on Aug. 4, 1619, but the House later met with the governor and his council to make laws for the colony. This combined lawmaking group was known as the General Assembly. It continues today as the legislative body of the state of Virginia.

The Virginia statesman Patrick Henry argues before the House of Burgesses in 1765. The House met for the first time 400 years ago on July 30, 1619. Credit: Detail of Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House of Burgesses(1851), an oil painting on canvas by Peter Frederick Rothermel (Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation)

In Virginia, 400th anniversary events will take place at Jamestown—themed “Origins of American Democracy”—and at Williamsburg, where the House of Burgesses was reestablished after the city became the colony’s new capital in 1699. The Williamsburg building that hosted the House of Burgesses still stands, and current members of the General Assembly will convene a special session there tomorrow, July 30. Richmond, the state of Virginia’s capital since 1780, is also hosting events to commemorate the first meeting of the House of Burgesses.

The House of Burgesses in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Credit: © Ritu Manoj Jethani, Shutterstock

The first act of the House of Burgesses was to approve an official great seal for the Virginia colony. The House also claimed the right to act on all tax laws. In 1621, the House received the authority to make all legislation, but the governor and his council had the right of veto. The House conformed to English law and used the same procedure as the English Parliament.

The House of Burgesses was not completely democratic. But it contributed to the development of representative government in colonial America. When it was temporarily dissolved in 1774, its members met in the first revolutionary convention of Virginia. There they elected delegates to the First Continental Congress. Such members of the House of Burgesses as Patrick Henry and George Washington became important figures during the American Revolution (1775-1783).

December 14, 2018

Tomorrow, December 15, is Bill of Rights Day in the United States. The  observation commemorates the day the Bill of Rights came into effect on Dec. 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights is a document that describes the fundamental liberties of the people and includes the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The purpose of Bill of Rights Day is to make Americans increasingly aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens. President Franklin D. Roosevelt first proclaimed December 15 as Bill of Rights Day in 1941.

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Bill of Rights Day marks the Dec. 15, 1791, approval of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The original draft of the Bill of Rights is seen here. Credit: National Archives

The Bill of Rights lays out fundamental rights and also forbids the government to violate these rights. The constitutions of many democratic countries have bills of rights that guarantee everyone the freedoms of speech, of religion, and of the press, and the right of assembly (elements of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution).

The Bill of Rights and other important documents are on display at Exhibition Hall in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Credit: © Dennis MacDonald, Alamy Images

Individuals are considered to be born with certain inalienable rights—that is, rights that governments may not take away from them. These rights are considered to be part of a “higher law,” a body of universal principles of right and justice that is superior to laws created by governments. Some of these rights, such as the freedoms of speech and of the press, support democracy. Others, such as the right to trial by jury (Seventh Amendment), are essential to justice.

The U.S Constitution, adopted in 1788, contained few personal guarantees. Statesman and future president James Madison pushed for the adoption of the 10 amendments that became known as the Bill of Rights. The first eight amendments contain the fundamental rights and freedoms of every citizen. The Ninth Amendment forbids the government to limit freedoms and rights that are not listed in the Constitution. The Tenth Amendment limits the powers of the federal government to those that are granted to it in the Constitution.

June 20, 2018

So far in 2018, teachers in six states have staged walkouts or strikes to protest low pay and stagnation in spending on education. Marching teachers carried placards decrying substandard facilities, teacher shortages resulting in large class sizes, and waves of tax cuts that have reduced state revenues and cut education funding.

Teachers strike at the state capitol in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on April 9, 2018. Teachers in Oklahoma and several other states went on strike this year to protest low wages, deep cuts to education funding, and other issues. Credit: © J Pat Carter, Getty Images

West Virginia’s teachers walked out on February 22, demanding higher pay, stability in insurance premiums, and higher standards for teacher certification. Nine days later, Governor Jim Justice yielded on some demands, pledging a 5 percent pay increase for all state employees. West Virginia, historically a proudly union state and the site of numerous strikes and violent clashes between coal miners and mine owners, has seen a steep drop-off in union participation since the mid-1900’s. Many of the state’s teachers cited striking miners as an inspiration.

In West Virginia and other states, cuts in state education funding have made districts increasingly reliant on local funding sources such as property and sales taxes. The budget cuts have created great disparities in teacher pay and student resources between wealthy suburban and poorer rural districts. West Virginians organized under the Twitter hashtag #RedForEd, and striking teachers wore red in solidarity as teacher walkouts spread to other states.

Kentucky’s teachers voted to strike on March 30, 2018, a day after state legislators inserted last-minute cuts to teacher pensions into a bill about unrelated sewer services. Kentucky teachers blasted the move and called for a rise in education funding. Teachers called in sick on April 2, forcing all districts to cancel classes while educators and their supporters marched on the state capitol in Frankfort. Governor Matt Bevin later vetoed a legislative compromise boosting some education funding, but teachers cheered on April 13 after both houses of Kentucky’s legislature voted to override Bevin’s veto.

Oklahoma teachers began a series of walkouts on April 2. A week earlier, the state’s legislature passed a bill that included long-awaited raises for teachers and support staff, but educators continued to call for increased funding for new textbooks and other essentials. The state’s largest teachers union called off the action on April 12 but vowed to keep up the pressure on state leaders.

On April 19, thousands of Arizona teachers voted to strike, leading to a walkout and a march to the state capitol in Phoenix on April 26. The teachers ended their walkouts on May 3, after Governor Doug Ducey promised a 20 percent pay increase by 2020 and additional funding for classrooms. State teachers groups said they would continue to fight for education during the 2018 elections. In Colorado, teachers in many districts staged several walkouts between April 26 and May 12, protesting low pay, insufficient school funding, and mismanagement of the teacher pension fund. The walkout ended after an agreement was reached on a modest pay raise. On May 16, 20,000 North Carolina teachers stage a one-day walkout, forcing districts to cancel classes for more than 1 million students.

The demonstrations were all the more notable because in five of the six states—Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and West Virginia (and in 30 other states as well)—teachers are legally forbidden from striking. State officials declined to penalize the striking educators, however, mindful of the popularity of the teachers’ cause and the seeming impossibility of firing and replacing hundreds of thousands of educators. The legislatures of all six affected states are under the control of Republicans, who for years have cut taxes on personal and corporate income, leading to drastic budget shortfalls and deep cuts in funding for education and other public services.

September 20, 2017

Times have been tough for many Venezuelans in recent years, and times have only gotten tougher in 2017. The government of President Nicolás Maduro (in disputed power since 2013) proved as volatile as ever, threatening a number of “imperialist” adversaries (primarily, the United States) as well as many of the nation’s own citizens. As he has done before, Maduro pushed measures to broaden his own power, measures that were heavily criticized by nations around the world. On several occasions, protests against the Maduro administration turned violent, and clashes with security forces have killed hundreds of Venezuelans. Thousands of people have been arrested for supporting the “traitorous” opposition, and many still languish in jail cells without having been charged with a crime.

On May 20, 2017, people march in Caracas, Venezuela, to protest the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Credit: Voice of America

The chronically failing economy (inflation is hovering around 700 percent) has pushed people into ever-more-desperate poverty, driving some to crime and others to flee the country. Colombia, Venezuela’s neighbor to the west and closest national cousin, had to close the border to stop the flood of refugees, but several times the border has been temporarily opened to allow Venezuelans to purchase staple items such as chicken, rice, medicine, and toilet paper—items once scarce and now virtually extinct in many parts of Venezuela. In February 2017, the Peruvian government helped ease some of the pressure, granting 12-month work visas to some 6,000 Venezuelans. For Venezuela’s millions of other suffering citizens, however, there has been little to do but vent frustration.

At the end of March, President Maduro closed the opposition-dominated National Assembly (the main legislative body that has tried to remove Maduro from power). He then handed power to the Supreme Court of Justice—a body under Maduro’s direct supervision. Massive protests forced the reversal of this move, but dissatisfaction continued. During April and May, protests shut down parts of Caracas, the capital, and other cities. In July, millions of people walked off their jobs in a collaborative, nationwide strike that brought Venezuela to a standstill.

On July 30, several people were killed during a dubious election for posts on an assembly that will rewrite the nation’s constitution in Maduro’s favor. On a lighter note in September, Maduro’s “rabbit plan” (asking people to raise rabbits for food in the protein-strapped country) met ridicule and failure as the rabbit kits handed out were tied with bows and adopted as pets instead of being bred for future dinners.

October 29, 2015

On October 29, Nepal’s first woman president, Bidhya Bhandari, is congratulated by outgoing President Ram Baran Yadav (left), while Prime Minister K.P. Oli (right) looks on. Bhandari had just taken the oath of office in a ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Credit: © Narendra Shrestha, EPA/Landov)

Nepal’s parliament made history on Wednesday when it elected Bidhya Devi Bhandari as the Himalayan country’s first woman president. Bhandari is a women’s rights campaigner who helped ensure representation for women in the government under a constitution passed in September 2015. The new constitution mandates that either the president or the vice-president must be a woman, and that one-third of the seats in parliament are reserved for women. Under Nepal’s constitution, the role of president is largely ceremonial; a prime minister heads the government.

Bhandari is Nepal’s second elected president since the country abolished its monarchy in 2008. The country’s transition to democracy was neither easy nor quick. The process began in 2008 after voters elected a Constituent Assembly to write a new constitution. The assembly could not agree on the constitution’s contents, however, and the group was abolished in 2012. The process began anew in 2013, but it took until September 2015 for the second assembly to finally agree on a constitution. Aside from ensuring representation for women in Nepal’s government, the new constitution also created a bicameral (two-house) legislature and divided the country into seven provinces. Tensions remained, however, as some minority groups expressed concern that they would be underrepresented in the new government.

September 14, 2015

In a late night voting session on Monday, the Liberal Party of Australia elected former lawyer and businessman Malcolm Turnbull as its new leader. The Liberal Party is generally conservative on social issues. It favors limited government control over the country’s economy. Turnbull replaced Prime Minister Tony Abbott as the party head, and will soon become prime minister.

Tony Abbott became prime minister of Australia in 2013.

Abbott became prime minister following a 2013 general election. A major focus of his election campaign was to repeal a tax on carbon dioxide emissions introduced in 2012 under Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Abbott argued that the tax, which imposed a fee on greenhouse gas emissions produced by the country’s highest polluting companies, would be bad for the economy and result in higher energy costs. In July 2014, the Australian Parliament repealed the carbon tax.

Abbott worked to expand Australia’s economy. His government signed free trade agreements with China, Japan, and South Korea to increase Australia’s exports of agricultural and other goods.

Abbott’s approval rating fell in 2015, and Turnbull called a party election to challenge for the leadership role. Turnbull accused Abbott of not successfully guiding Australia’s economic policies. Liberal Party members of Parliament voted 54-44 in favor of Turnbull, who had previously led the party from 2008 to 2009.