ilhan omar is on her way to be the first muslim woman in the u.s. congress

As dire as things may look now, it’s still comforting to know that the fight is not over. Minorities are looking at the world and deciding to get into the political ring in hopes of making substantial change. One of these heroes is Progressive state legislature Ilhan Omar, who just won the Democratic primary in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. In 2016, Omar became the first Somali-American, Muslim legislator in the United States and if she wins in November, she’ll be the first Somali-American muslim to serve on Congress. Omar is likely to be joined by another game-changer, fellow Democrat and Palistinean-American Rashida Tlaib, who won the Democratic primary in Michigan last week and is running unopposed in her heavily Democratic district in November.

“Our campaign staff, our volunteers, and the people of the Fifth Congressional District are the inspiration we need to get up every day and fight for a democracy that guarantees a more just and equitable society.” – Al Jazeera

Omar and her family fled the civil war in Somalia when she was 8, ending up in a refugee camp in Mombasa Kenya for four years. She arrived in America at age 12, eventually settling in Minneapolis and learning English by watching American TV. The legislator is now a mother of three and has been in the States for over two decades. Her interest in politics began at 14 when she would interpret DFL caucuses for her grandfather. “Watching neighbors come together to advocate for change at the grassroots level made Ilhan fall in love with the democratic process,” per Omar’s website.

“In my last race, I talked about what my win would have meant for that 8-year-old girl in that refugee camp,” Omar said in her victory speech. “And today, I still think about her and I think about the kind of hope and optimism all of those 8-year-olds around the country and around the world get from seeing your beautiful faces elect and believe in someone like me.” – The Cut

It’s too early to detect whether the tide is changing the success of Omar – a Somalian-American former refugee – speaks volumes about the grass-roots approach also utilized by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who backed Omar during the race. According to CNN, Omar ran on a platform that advocates for “Medicare for all”, abolishing ICE, protecting DACA, tuition free college and debt forgiveness as well as raising minimum wage to $15 an hour. According to Al Jazeera, Omar has gone on record to say that she would fight Trump as she would have been affected by racist policies like his Muslim ban and repealing DACA.

“In my last race, I talked about what my win would have meant for that 8-year-old girl in that refugee camp,” Omar said in her victory speech. “And today, I still think about her and I think about the kind of hope and optimism all of those 8-year-olds around the country and around the world get from seeing your beautiful faces elect and believe in someone like me.” – The Cut

Omar will be one of at least 90 Muslims running for political office in the November midterm elections. She told Huffington Post that she hopes her candidacy would encourage people who don’t fit a certain demographic to seek office. “To believe in the good will of the people to select someone they believe shares their vision and not necessarily their identity.”

Get out there are make-sure you’re registered to vote in November!