Invited to the annual valedictorians’ reception, Abrams and her parents traveled by bus to the governor’s mansion. In 1991, she was chosen as valedictorian of her high school.

Both became ordained Methodist ministers. When Abrams was in high school, the family moved to Atlanta so her parents could attend the Theological Seminary at Emory University. Her siblings include a professor of anthropology, federal judge, evolutionary biologist, and a social worker, and the family remains close and the siblings have a book club that meets regularly via conference call. Abrams likes to say that her “parents said you could miss school if you had a doctor’s note and a surgical scar.” Abrams credits the public school system with “saving” her and her siblings. Abrams spent most of her childhood in Gulfport, recalling that her family was part of what her mother called “the genteel poor.” Abrams said this meant the family “had no money, but we watched PBS and read books.” Abrams read the encyclopedia for fun.Įducation was of the upmost importance in the Abrams household. The family did not stay long in Wisconsin-Abrams only remembers “the cold and the cheese curds”-and moved to Gulfport, Mississippi. Family outings to the polls and outreach trips to prisons were frequent. Carolyn and Robert raised their six kids with a “you-can-be-anything mantra” and advocated civic engagement. Her mother was kicked off buses when she tried to sit up front and her father was beaten and jailed for his participation. Coming of age amidst the boycotts and marches of the civil rights movement, both of her parents participated. Her mother, Carolyn, was a college librarian and her father, Robert, was a shipyard worker. Stacey Yvonne Abrams was born on Decemin Madison, Wisconsin. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. The name Stacey Abrams has become synonymous with voting accessibility and turnout, making history by becoming the first woman and first African American woman to hold positions in state and national politics.

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