Lilian Seenoi-Barr made her own bit of history over the weekend by becoming the first black politician to be elected to any public office in Northern Ireland.
The SDLP member took the 5th seat in the Foyleside District Electoral Area of Derry and Strabane City Council.
Two years ago, she was co-opted onto the council and was selected to contest the seat this time around.
She secured 960 first preference votes, 15.5% of the total in her area.
"I am deeply humbled to have been elected by the people of Foyleside," she said.
Cllr Seenoi-Barr said: "When I joined Derry City and Strabane District Council just under two years ago, I had been chosen by the SDLP members. At the time, I made a commitment that I would work tirelessly to earn people's trust and deliver for the local area.
"I'm beyond delighted to have gained nearly 1,000 first preferences and to now have an electoral mandate in my own right."
Her election was a rare positive story for the SDLP in the local government elections, which lost 21 seats from the last election in 2019.
Party leader Colum Eastwood described her election as a hugely significant moment.
"Lilian is an outstanding public representative who works hard every day for people in Derry and has spent years breaking down barriers and ending division," he added.
"The SDLP vision for the future is based on building an inclusive, diverse new Ireland. We are a political home for anyone who shared that mission. Lilian is an important part of our team and will be a leading voice in our movement."
Ms Seenoi-Barr is the founder and director of the North West Migrants Forum, which aims to support and advise members of the black and minority ethnic communities who live in Northern Ireland.
She was previously a human rights activist in her native Kenya, where she co-founded an education project for Maasai women to rescue young girls from forced marriages and female genital mutilation.
Her election success made the news with a number of outlets in Kenya, including the Nairobi-based Kahawa Tungu.
It quoted Ledama Olekina, a member of the Kenyan Senate, welcoming her election in a post on Twitter.
"Congratulations to my baby sister Lilian Seenoi. The first-ever black person to be elected as a councillor in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. May the Good Lord open many doors for you," he said.
