Behold, the 21 Inspiring Black Women of Congress

Eleanor Holmes Norton is a delegate for the District of Columbia. The 79-year-old Democrat assumed office in 1991 and was the chairperson of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for over a decade before that.

Norton's background is rooted in activism. She participated in the Civil Rights Movement and was even reportedly arrested for attending several sit-ins as a recent college graduate. She also tirelessly fought for fellow women of color — in 1970, she helped launch the Women's Rights Law Reporter and later helped pen the historic "Black Women's Manifesto."