'Even now, 158 years after the first Juneteenth, our elected leaders remain overwhelmingly white and male—meaning Black women political candidates are battling the status quo on two fronts.'
Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to hold the office, and Karen Bass, the first woman of color to serve as mayor of Los Angeles, shake hands after the administration of the Oath of Office to Bsss on Dec. 11, 2022 in Los Angeles.
It is no accident that the women’s rights movement in this country was initiated by abolitionists. The women who met at Seneca Falls and drafted the first Declaration of Sentiments in 1848 were experienced organizers who had cut their political teeth in the abolition movement. There have always been obvious synergies between the fight against sexism and the fight against racism. However, the feminist movement of the ’60s and ’70s too often elevated white voices to the exclusion of Black women.
Our research has shown that a multitude of barriers conspire against Black women’s political ambitions. Black women candidates have less funding than other candidates because of racial disparities in income and generational wealth. Thus, fundraising and supporting partisan leaders is crucial to their success. Yet party leadership often wants to throw their money behind a less politically “risky” candidate, further entrenching the state of affairs.
We also know how crucial representation is to building a new generation of leaders. When Black girls see Black women in leadership roles, their ability to see themselves in those roles is solidified. It can be much more difficult to recruit young candidates and build those ambitions when there are fewer examples to follow.
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