By AFRO Staff

EMILY’s List held their annual “We are EMILY” gala on May 16 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., welcoming elected officials from across the nation including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. EMILY’s List is a political action organization dedicated to supporting Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights. At this year’s gala they honored Speaker Emeritus Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11) for her contributions to the House of Representatives. Pelosi’s groundbreaking work led to her being voted to serve as the first ever woman Speaker of the House. 

Other honorees included Fentrice Driskell, who serves in Florida’s House of Representatives and represents District 67, where she too made history as the first Black woman minority leader in the history of the Florida House of Representatives. Driskell received the Gabrielle Gifford Rising Star award which celebrates an extraordinary woman serving in state or local office who is committed to serving families. Advocates such as Ayanna Pressley and Kim Foxx were warmly embraced as recipients of this award in previous years.

  • Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black man to serve as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, speaks with gala attendees. (Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)
  • EMILY’s List was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group’s name is an acronym for “Early Money Is Like Yeast,” because Malcolm believed that “it makes the dough rise.” (Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)
  • Addison Rose, Washington, D.C. Youth Mayor, addresses the crowd at the We Are Emily gala. (Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)
  • Laphonza Butler, president of EMILY’s List (Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)
  • President Joe Biden and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11), House Speaker Emerita, celebrate the recent accomplishments of women in the political arena. (Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)
  • Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the importance of improving the maternal mortality rate and pushing back on abortion bans.(Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)
  • Rebecca Haile, EMILY’s List board chair. (Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)
  • Hundreds of attendees mingle and enjoy the gala. (Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)
  • Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, a Florida member of the House of Representatives, receives the Rising Star Award for her work in District 67. (Photo courtesy of EMILY’s List)