Stacey Abrams and her five siblings grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi. Despite struggling to make ends meet for their family, her parents made service a way of life for their children – if someone was less fortunate, it was their job to serve that person. This ethic and her parents’ unwavering commitment to providing educational opportunity for their children, led the family to Georgia. She put her education to work to better the lives of Georgians through the government, nonprofit, and business sectors. Dedicated to civic engagement, she founded the New Georgia Project, which submitted more than 200,000 registrations for voters of color between 2014 and 2016.
Under the pen name Selena Montgomery, Stacey is the award-winning author of eight romantic suspense novels, which have sold more than 100,000 copies. As co-founder of NOW Account, a financial services firm that helps small businesses grow, Stacey has helped create and retain jobs in Georgia. And through her various business ventures, Stacey has helped employ even more Georgians, including hundreds of young people starting out.
Stacey knows our beginnings do not have to dictate who we will become. She has a boundless belief in Georgians’ capacity to prosper; and she has the courage, commitment to service, and experience to make this vision a reality. In 2010, Stacey became the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly and the first African American to lead in the House of Representatives. Stacey is now the first major party black female gubernatorial candidate in US history.
3 Things We Love About Stacey:
- She is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations
- Stacey has received recognition from the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Georgia), the National Urban League, EMILY’s List, and Planned Parenthood.
- She understands that if we have the vision to strive – and the courage to confront our challenges – our potential is boundless.