U.S. Rep. Analilia Mejia, who won a special election in April to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s former seat representing New Jersey’s 11th District, was sworn in as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus on September 1 by Chairwoman Yvette D. Clarke of New York.
Mejia, who is currently seeking reelection this November against Republican challenger Joe Hathaway (Hathaway also ran in the special election), was sworn in to the Black Caucus at the U.S. Capitol in front of a statue of civil rights leader Rosa Parks.
After the ceremony, Congresswoman Mejia released the following statement:
“It is an honor and a privilege to join the ranks of the Congressional Black Caucus. The CBC has stood as the moral conscience of Congress for over fifty years, uplifting the voices of Black communities across the country in the halls of our nation’s Capitol. As the first Afro-Latina to serve in Congress, the daughter of a Dominican machinist and a Colombian seamstress, I am grateful for the recognition and the testament of belonging. As a member of both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I understand that our futures; Black, Latino, immigrant, working-class, and more — are inextricably connected. We share more in common than divides us and our ability to come together is what truly makes America great. This insight, alongside my commitment to the people of New Jersey’s 11th congressional district, will continue to fuel me in every action I take.”
Photo courtesy of U.S. Rep. Analilia Mejia
