Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams was honored Friday (Sept. 17) with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) Body Award. Abrams received the award virtually at the culminating signature event — the Phoenix Awards — of the 50th Annual Legislative Conference.
Abrams, who is a two-time honoree, was recognized for her “unparalleled excellence in mobilizing the Black vote,” the CBCF stated in a press release. Abrams’ organization Fair Fight advocates for free and fair elections and has been on the frontlines of the battle for federal voting rights legislation. In April, President Joe Biden thanked Abrams for her help in flipping Georgia blue and “empowering people to vote and to make their voices heard.”
In a video acceptance speech broadcast by BET, Abrams thanked the CBCF and all of its members. “Receiving the Phoenix award is a signal that the work we’re doing on voing rights and the 2020 census has made a difference, but that difference would not have been made without the support of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus,” Abrams said. “Doing the work to reach out to communities that are on the margins that are too often left behind, doing the work of lifting up the necessity of not only voting but voting for our future and doing the work of pushing back against the big lie, but also the smaller untruths that are told too often about the value of our voices. It is always my honor to stand in solidarity with the CBC, to work together, to fight together, and to defend our democracy together. Because ultimately our work is one in the same; ensuring that every American understands and fully enjoys the perquisites of citizenship.”
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III, and Senior Advisor to the President, and Cedric Richmond, among others were also honored throughout the night.
“The Phoenix Awards honorees this year embody the principles of public service, equity, and leadership for our underserved communities and the nation as a whole, said Congressional Black Caucus Foundation President and CEO Tonya Veasey. “Each has worked tirelessly to advance and ensure continued freedom for all.”
Watch Stacey Abrams receive her award below: