Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died at 49 after battling brain cancer. Love, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, served as a Utah congresswoman and was known for her belief in the American dream.

A rising GOP star, she distanced herself from Donald Trump but lost her seat in 2018. After politics, she worked as a CNN commentator and university fellow.

In her final op-ed, Love urged Americans to unite, emphasizing that “whenever you divide, you diminish,” the Associated Press has reported.

Her family remembered her legacy with gratitude and love.

Written by B.C. Begley