Tag: Yolanda Caraway

By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com Politics aren’t for the faint of heart- and, according to the new book, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics,” it’s taken some of the strongest people around to keep politicians and parties in tact- Black women. Described as the “four most powerful African-American women in politics,” Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry and Minyon Moore wrote “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics” and on Oct. 27 three of the authors were featured on the Armstrong Williams Show. “The purpose was to share our lessons being eye witnesses to history,” Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee, told Williams. Moore, who served as the director of the White House Office of Public Liaison under the Clinton administration, said the key to her success in politics was an understanding of business. “Well that belonged to the White House and we had to figure out ‘How do we get it back?’ That was the first time we ever buried somebody,” Brazile said. “It was just marvelous.” Moore told several stories about the Clintons. She explained that Clinton was one of the first presidents who insisted on a diverse cabinet. I want to have strong women in my cabinet,’” Moore said. “We were seeing that people were going to the polls and they weren’t voting for president. They were voting down ballot [not voting president and vice president]…76,000 people did that in Michigan and we didn’t find that out until later.” Through all the lessons from careers in politics, the women explained that the true purpose behind the work is beyond partisan ideals.

The lives of Black women in American politics are remarkably absent from the shelves of bookstores and libraries. “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics” is a sweeping view of American history from the vantage points of four women who have lived and worked behind the scenes in politics for over 30 years—Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore, a group of women who call themselves “The Colored Girls.” Like many people who have spent their careers in public service, they view their lives in four-year waves where presidential campaigns and elections have been common threads. For most of the Colored Girls, their story starts with Jesse Jackson’s first campaign for president. From there, they went on to work on the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Over the years, they’ve filled many roles: in the corporate world, on campaigns, in unions, in churches, in their own businesses and in the White House. Through all of this, they’ve worked with those who have shaped our country’s history-U.S. presidents such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, well-known political figures such as Terry McAuliffe and Howard Dean, and legendary activists and historical figures such as Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, and Betty Shabazz. “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics” is filled with personal stories that bring to life heroic figures we all know and introduce us to some of those who’ve worked behind the scenes but are still hidden. Whatever their perch, the Colored Girls are always focused on the larger goal of “hurrying history” so that every American -regardless of race, gender or religious background-can have a seat at the table. This is their story.