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Sharon Weston Broome has made political history twice in the state of Louisiana. Over the weekend, she was elected the first Black woman to serve as Mayor-President of the East Baton Rouge Parish.

Broome, 60, will also effectively be the first Black woman mayor of Baton Rouge and will preside over several smaller townships along with the parish in her new role. Former Mayor-President Kip Holden, the parish’s first Black Mayor-President, is nearing the end of his term limit this month after serving 12 years. Holden will remain in Baton Rouge as an attorney in one of the city’s high-profile firms.

Broome first made her historic mark after being elected as the first Black woman state senator for District 15. Before then, Broome served as a state representative. Running as a moderate, Broome prevailed in a tight race that saw her win  52 percent of the vote over her opponent, Republican Mack “Bodi” White.

Broome, a Chicago native, earned two communication degrees from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and Regent University. Her husband, Marvin, was a widow with three children when they wed. Broome raised the children as her own and now the couple are proud grandparents.

PHOTO: Promo, Sharon Turner

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Little Known Black History Fact: Sharon Weston Broome  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com