State Sen. Catherine Miranda announced in a press release Monday she will be forming the Legislature’s first-ever Black Caucus. Miranda said the move will give Black Arizonans a voice at the Capitol despite lack of elected representation.

“That's how (a caucus is) made up, is members that are the elected officials here," Miranda told KJZZ News. "Well, there's no (elected) members here to create the traditional caucus, so I decided my community will be the members. So it's the actual Black community that will come in and they will be in charge of the agenda.”

The senator said a conversation with late civil rights activist Mel Hannah inspired her to take action. 

Miranda, who is part of the Arizona Latino Caucus, said she’s received support from the NAACP and former state Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor.