Melanie Campbell of the Black Women’s Roundtable thinks it is time for this voting bloc to get the respect it deserves. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – After historic midterms, when they helped Democrats recapture the House of Representatives, women of color are moving fast to leverage their newfound political clout for the 2020 presidential election.
They’re hosting a presidential forum – in a bold move to get national candidates to recognize their influence – while ramping up get-out-the-vote efforts and preparing more women to run for Congress.
“There’s never been a moment for women of color in politics like there is now,” said Aimee Allison, president and founder of She the People, a national network. “It’s kind of like there’s a big awakening.”
After years of complaining that national political parties have not done enough to fund their turnout efforts or to support black female candidates, some groups are raising the money to do it themselves.
“We are demanding a return on our voting investment,” said Glynda Carr, co-founder of Higher Heights, which supports black female candidates and more black political involvement.
That has paid off.
“We have seen women step up in the entire political ecosystem. It’s not only running for office. We see women step up and running campaigns, being the press secretaries, being the finance director,” said A’shanti F. Gholar, political director at Emerge America, which trains Democratic female candidates. “We have also seen women start several organizations that support candidates, which is extremely important because we know not every woman is going to want to run for office.
“All of those things are finally coming together.”
Turning to the national stage
To take advantage of the national attention, She the People will host a presidential forum in Houston in April – the first by a group led by women of color.
“I’m excited and also recognize how much is riding on the success of this,” said Allison, who plans to announce participating candidates as soon as this week.
Whether candidates attend could show how important it is to court women of color.
Organizers said they scheduled the forum early in the campaign cycle to establish the group as a political force. Holding it in a red state was also intentional.
The South and the Southwest, which have diverse populations, will be fertile ground for Democratic candidates.
“For men and women (candidates) of various races, they all need to win women of color,” Allison said. “They have to make their case.”
The group plans to hold a town hall this spring in Virginia to focus on state races. Virginia is a crucial state for Democratic presidential candidates.
Virginia was in the national spotlight this year when a photo emerged of a person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe on the yearbook page of…
