That place, one of the black slaves, was elected as the first congressman in Georgia

Rafael Warnock becomes Georgia’s first black senator. yunhap news

On the 6th (local time), Washington, DC, USA was stained with violent protests, but a history of hope was written in Georgia. The first African-American senator ever was born in Serin, a place where African-Americans suffered racism while working as slaves. The main character is Rafael Warnock (51). Born into a poor family and a lifelong pastor, he won the Senate election as a Democratic candidate, defeating active Republican Kelly Loeffler.

It has been 16 years since the Democratic Party has won the local senator elections, and it is the 11th time that a black senator has appeared in the US Congress. The Senate election held with the presidential election on November 3 last year ended with Warnock’s victory and a blue wave (the Democratic Party, whose symbol is blue, dominates the Senate and House). The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 5th (local time) that “Raphael Warnock’s victory is part of history.” NYT said it was “breaking a clear barrier in American politics,” and “it’s also a generational breakthrough among black southerners.”

Rafael Warnock and father in their youth. [출처 조지아를 위한 워녹 홈페이지]

Georgia is a place of great significance in the history of the black American human rights movement. About a third of the population of about 10 million are black, most of them are descendants of slaves brought from Africa in the early 19th century and mobilized in plantations (large farms). It is also considered one of the’deep South’s where the conflict between white-centered conservatives and blacks still remains. It is a region where Republicans have been strong in elections. Again, the Republican candidate has downplayed Warnock, saying he is a’dangerous radical’, denouncing the white privilege and advocating abortion. However, a large number of black voters were voting, and young progressive young people who came in search of jobs in Atlanta took the side of Warnock.

Warnock’s family history is part of a serene history of African Americans in Georgia. Born in Savannah, Georgia, the 11th out of 12 siblings, his mother, who had a great influence on him, also had experience working on a cotton farm as a child. Since ancient times, Georgia had many cotton farms, and when slaves were legal, the laborious work of hand-picking cotton was the job of the slaves. In the film ’12 Years of Slave’, which depicts the cold of black slaves in Georgia, there is also a cotton farmer’s line that says, “You are just a black slave from Georgia.”

A scene from the movie ’12 Years of Slave’. He drew the human history of black slaves working on cotton farms. [영화사 공식 스틸컷]

Warnock’s parents were poor, but diligent. His father served in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he learned the skills of repairing scrapped cars. After being discharged, he returned to Georgia to run a small auto repair shop. NYT reported that Warnock grew up with sincere parents and learned the habit of getting dressed and groomed every morning, even if nothing special.

Warnock summoned his mother’s memories while announcing his winning speech. “(Mother) picked up the youngest son at a polling place a few days ago with an 82-year-old hand picking someone else’s cotton,” he said. “This is the power of America.” He added, “I’ve been told that I can’t win this election, but with my supporters I have proved that anything is possible.”

Rafael Warnock when he was a pastor. [출처 조지아를 위한 워녹 홈페이지]

In addition to his career, Warnock’s Buno was ordained as a pastor. Warnock, influenced by the sincerity of his parents, also raised a dream of a religious person. After graduating from high school, he attended Morehouse College, which is the alma mater of the late Martin Luther King Jr., the godfather of the black human rights movement and who led the Reformation. He gradually follows in the footsteps of Pastor King, and in 2005 he also set a record of becoming the youngest pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King served as a pastor. In July of last year, when the late Congressman John Lewis, who was called the’last leader’ of the black human rights movement, passed away, he held a funeral service here, and he also preached a memorial service at that time.

Rafael Warnock and John Osoff, two seats of Georgia State Senators. yunhap news

Warnock, who was close to the Bible and the denomination and distanced himself from politics, received attention as a politician in 2014. At that time, he was at the forefront of the’Medicaid’ movement, requiring low-income people, including blacks, to receive medical expenses. It is the time when he began to reveal his presence as a politician. From 2017 to January last year, he chaired the New Georgia Project, which encourages voter registration and voting.

Not only Warnock, but also Democratic candidate John Osoff won over Republican David Purdue, and both Georgia senators returned to the Democratic Party. As a result, the Blue Wave was realized in 12 years following the first president of Obama in 2009.

Reporter Kim Sun-mi [email protected]