Those ballots helped propel the Democrat to victory over Moore -- who was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct, including child molestation. The result is also seen as a defeat for President Trump, who campaigned for Moore.
Lee says black voters “were on the right side of history and the moral side of this election.”
African-Americans may also have been drawn to Jones because of his background. A former U.S. attorney, Jones prosecuted two Ku Klux Klan members for the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, in which four African-American girls were killed.
But, even with the victory, the Democratic Party has still been taking heat. Some African-Americans, including former NBA player and native Alabamian Charles Barkley, called the election a wake-up call for the Democratic Party “for taking the black vote and the poor for granted.” It’s time for Democrats to “get off their ass,” said Barkley, “and start making life better for black voters and people who are poor."
Lee, a member of the Democratic National Committee, concedes the Democratic Party does have work to do. She says the party has been engaged in “soul searching” following some recent losses to the GOP. The key, Lee said, is for candidates to address issues that the black community cares about, such as income inequality and mass incarceration.
The East Bay congresswoman says the issue of sexual harassment, recently dominating the national conversation, speaks to black women in particular -- adding that the “MeToo” movement likely played a role in mobilizing black women against Moore.
“Who knows the issues of sexual harassment any better than African-American women, given the history of slavery,” said Lee.
A full 98 percent of ballots cast by black women went for Jones.
