U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, the first African American woman elected to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate, was honored with the Presidential Medal of Excellence and a Presidential Citation during Bowie State University’s Spring Commencement. The ceremony took place where Alsobrooks delivered the keynote address.
Alsobrooks began her six-year Senate term in January after a decisive victory in the November 2024 election. Her historic win marked a new chapter for Maryland, adding to a career defined by barrier-breaking leadership and dedication to public service.
Prior to her election to the Senate, Alsobrooks served as Prince George’s County Executive from 2018 to 2024, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She previously served as the county’s State’s Attorney, where she was also the first woman and the youngest person ever elected to the role. Under her leadership, violent crime dropped by 50 percent, and she became a champion for domestic violence survivors as the county’s first full-time prosecutor dedicated to such cases.
A lifelong Marylander, Alsobrooks earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University in 1993 and her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1996. She began her legal career clerking in Howard and Baltimore City circuit courts before entering public service.
Alsobrooks has built her political career on a commitment to working families, safe communities, and economic equity. As County Executive, she focused on job creation and economic development, quickly rising to become one of Maryland’s top job creators.
She currently serves alongside Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, making them the only two African American women in the U.S. Senate.
Alsobrooks often cites her great-grandmother’s advice as her guiding principle: to get off the sidelines, go farther, and do better. She is also a proud mother to her daughter, Alex.
