Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas became the first Black woman to play ball for the Democrats in the annual Congressional Baseball Game Wednesday night.
Crockett said she was inspired to play in the baseball game — despite its practices being in the “wee hours of the morning” — after speaking with her legislative counsel.
“We’ve got a historic number of women that are in Congress right now, and then when it comes to the Democratic side, even in my class, we have a historic number of Black women,” Crockett told NBC News. “For this to be truly a congressional game, we felt like it was really important to make the very-early-morning sacrifices.”
The GOP’s team won 16-6 against the Democrats — the Republicans’ third consecutive victory in the series. The bipartisan game is a tradition in Washington, D.C., dating back to 1909, in which lawmakers play baseball to raise money for charity. This year’s proceeds will go toward the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Washington’s Nationals Philanthropies and the Washington Literacy Center.
Former Rep. Mia Love of Utah, the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, was the first Black woman to play in the game in 2018. Crockett was the only woman to play on the Democrats’ side this year. Rep. Linda Sánchez of California served as one of their coaches.
Crockett spoke to the importance of the bipartisan game at a time when the country is grappling with divisive policies.
“It sends a signal that we are still making progress in this country and don’t give up on us. There are those of us that are constantly fighting to shatter the next glass ceiling,” Crockett said. “Hopefully it will be a vision of hope and inspiration for those that may feel as if they’re getting a little beat down right now.”
Crockett has represented Texas’ 30th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023. She previously served in the Texas House of Representatives for one term.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
