Stacey Abrams, on the cover of Marie Claire's Spring 2021 issue, has been busy; after losing the 2018 gubernatorial race, Abrams put boots on the ground to co-lead one of the most impressive political organizing campaigns in recent memory. Along with her voting rights organization, Fair Fight (opens in new tab), she tried to turn the crimson state of Georgia blue, but many thought that unlikely. Georgia elected Joe Biden (opens in new tab) as president, and last January, the state elected Georgia's first black senator and first Jewish senator, turning the United States Senate blue (opens in new tab). Abrams, meanwhile, continues to moonlight as a romance novelist!

While many, including Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown (open in new tab), and others have praised Stacey Abrams and other organizers for her Georgia victory, Abrams herself attributes her success to collective action and other people's accomplishments. As the daughter of a working-class minister, her spirit of action and working for the common good trumps any notion of personal achievement.

She told Marie Claire magazine, "At the most basic level, my success is tied to the success of my people. My people are Americans. My people are Americans; they are people of color. My success can only be real success if I am doing it for the success of others."

She used the words "we" and "us" when discussing her future goals. I want to protect the right to vote," Abrams told Ashley C. Ford.

"I want to effectively use census and redistricting to serve disproportionately affected communities, and I want to rebuild public infrastructure in the South, using COVID not as an excuse for bankruptcy but as a template for doing the right thing."

While some may be satisfied with a second straight win in Georgia, Abrams is just getting started. Abrams believes that power truly resides with the people and will continue to fight for lasting change.

"Because the change we are making is not permanent until people believe it is change that should be protected and maintained. So every election, every battle, we must remind people that they have the power to win.

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