Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Georgia governorship, becoming first Black woman to hold the post
The governor-elect’s path to the top office in Georgia intersects with a century of institutional history at Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
By Nikolai Morales ·
Keisha Lance Bottoms secured the governorship of Georgia on November 3, 2026. She will become the first Black woman elected to lead a U.S. state, the first Black governor in Georgia’s history, and the first woman to hold the office. At her victory celebration, Bottoms addressed the state as its 84th governor.
The numbers surrounding her election have drawn attention to the institutional foundations that preceded her. Bottoms attended Florida A&M University, where she joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Her ancestry traces back to enslaved Georgians, a lineage that spans more than 160 years to the present day.
Delta Sigma Theta was founded at Howard University on January 13, 1913, by 22 Black college women. Congressional records recognize the organization for its history of scholarship, service, and political engagement. The sorority’s first public act occurred on March 3, 1913, when 22 members marched in the Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, D.C. The National Archives documents their participation in that event, a time when Black women faced discrimination within the suffrage movement.
The connection between Bottoms and the sorority extends beyond her membership. Congressional records identifying Delta Sigma Theta’s political legacy also name Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, and Carol Moseley Braun. Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress and later sought a major party presidential nomination. Jordan served in the Texas Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Moseley Braun was the first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. These women established a pattern of Black women entering high-level political roles through the networks built by such organizations.
Bottoms’ personal timeline aligns with the dates of these institutions. She was born on January 18, five days after the sorority’s founding date. Georgia ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 2, 1788. All three dates fall within the Capricorn season, which runs from late December through January 19. While astrological associations with discipline and ambition are often cited for this period, the institutional history provides a concrete framework for her advancement.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture describes Black Greek-letter organizations as emerging during a period of hostile race relations. These groups created spaces for racial uplift, community service, and civic action when Black students were excluded from white Greek life. The networks of mentorship and professional development built by these organizations over the last century have enabled Black women to enter leadership positions in government, law, and education.
Bottoms’ career followed a path through law school, the judiciary, the Atlanta City Council, the mayor’s office, and the White House before she ran for governor. Her election represents the culmination of a process that began with the 22 founders of Delta Sigma Theta. Those women built an infrastructure of civic engagement that has produced several political firsts. Bottoms’ victory adds a new chapter to that record, placing a woman from that lineage in the highest executive office in Georgia.
The election of Bottoms highlights the role of HBCUs and Greek organizations in shaping political leaders. These institutions provided the support systems, scholarships, and networks necessary for Black women to navigate political structures. As Georgia’s 84th governor, Bottoms enters a role defined by a history that includes the state’s ratification of the Constitution and the suffrage march of 1913. Her administration will now oversee a state where her family’s history as enslaved Georgians meets the modern executive branch.
