Black women in the California Democratic Party are demanding more clout, saying the organization has failed to make room for them at the top.
— about 6% of likely voters — the state’s size means the number of black voters here rivals that in New York or Georgia.
“I think as you see more black women deciding to run for office, then you see other black women saying we can’t just have this sister out here on her own. We have to have people helping her win,” she said. “I think just having someone like Kamala Harris run to be president of the United States says that if we want this woman to get there or even have a shot, then we have to be organized as black women.
Ellis said she’s heard from dozens of people, many of them black women, who have told her they’re reconsidering their commitment to the state party after her loss, making work to improve representation in party leadership all the more urgent.“I think black women are recognizing our power and are choosing to take a closer look at where we are going to put our loyalties and our votes,” Ellis said. “We as a community don’t need the Democratic Party.
“I think the Democratic Party playbook has for a long time kowtowed to the fears of the white moderate,” Allison said. With California positioning itself as a leader in the so-called resistance against the Trump administration, Allison added, “This isn’t the time for all that.” Former legislative staffer Kellie Todd runs a quarterly call for elected officials, nonprofit executives and others to discuss how best to promote black women candidates and causes. The week after Ellis’ loss, Todd said, they discussed what to do next to encourage black women to run for office.
“We have to get women in leadership positions and the only way we do it is to be present,” Fowler told them.
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