we had never before had two african-american simultaneously serving in the united states senate. and since mo cowen is gone now, we are no longer in that situation. aside from that brief overlap of those two appointed senators, every single one of the few african-americans who have ever served in the united states senate, every single one of them has serve there had alone, even back during reconstruction. the only african-american woman who have ever served in the senate is carol moseley braun, the senator from illinois. she served in the 1990s. carol moseley browne remaining the only black woman to have ever served in the senate. and she was the only black senator of either gender in the senate one august day back in 1993. so ten years ago, when she stepped on to the senator's only elevator in the u.s. capitol. she was on the senator's elevator already when a senator from north carolina named jesse helms stepped on to join her on that elevator. senator orrin hatch was also on the elevator with the two of them. and jesse helms stepped on to