CHICAGO, IL -- When the Democratic National Convention begins Monday in Chicago it will feature a group of Black women making history, including one from Oregon.

"This is the first time in the history of the Association of State Democratic Chairs that the national Democratic Party has ever had seven Black chairs at one time," says Democratic Party of Oregon Chair Rosa Colquitt, who is among them. Each is the first Black women in their respective states to hold party chair status, "So this is pretty phenomenal. And likewise, it's phenomenal the work that Black women do to organize voting on the ground," says Colquitt, "That is what we have done, what we're doing now and what we'll continue to do." She adds, "The organizing on the ground is seriously important, within our individual states. That has an impact on the Democratic party, nationally."

Colquitt was elected DPO Chair in 2023 and hopes to inspire the next generation. "Two young women came up to me - I was at a meeting in Portland - one was a Latina and the other was a young Black girl. And they asked to take a picture with me. And I said, 'You know, I'm not an elected official. I'm a volunteer chair.' But, I said, 'I would love to take a picture with you because I think you're so important,'" she says, "My presence means that others look and say, 'I can be a strong volunteer. I can help my party. There's a place for me; a role for me. My voice is important.'"

We asked Colquitt why it took so long to reach this level of diversity in the party. "It took so long because progress and democracy is a business that just takes time in America. Some folks are ready for it, other folks are not."

The group of seven women from Oregon, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma and South Carolina will be honored in Chicago later this week, with a reception hosted by the Black Political Excellence Fund, "The point that that is making is that Black women will continue to work to reshape our history and to reshape what democracy looks like in America."