Politics
As Black Women Across US Mobilize for Kamala Harris, Chicagoans Share Hopes for Historic Campaign
With Black women having a history of playing a significant role in elections, organizers and voters have already started rallying behind Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for president.
More than 40,000 Black women joined a Zoom call — with another 50,000 streaming on other platforms — this past Sunday to express their support.
Spectators anticipate this number to grow as the election moves forward.
“As a Black woman in the workforce, I have never felt fully supported at any point in my career,” said Felicia Davis Blakley, CEO of Primo. “This is the moment that we need everyone to fully support her candidacy. To be able to see her victorious is too consequential.”
The Zoom call raised $1.5 million Harris’ campaign. So far, she has managed to raise $126 million.
According to an AP survey, 93% of Black women voted for President Joe Biden in 2020. And many are speculating they will be backbone during this upcoming election. The historical significance surrounding Harris’ candidacy plays a crucial role in her narrative, especially when appealing to Black women and women of color.
“This is a wonderful moment. I can only imagine what Shirley Chisholm and Fannie Lou Hamer and Amelia Boynton Robinson and so many people are saying,” said Santita Jackson, host of the Santita Jackson Show. “But I am also mindful that individual achievement cannot trump collective advancement. … We need to be engaged about what we need collectively.”
On Tuesday, Harris held a rally in Milwaukee appealing to her supporters. She was met with great applause and made a point to note she is running a “people-powered campaign” as opposed to former President Donald Trump’s reliance on “billionaires and big corporations.”
In addition to the outpouring of support Harris is seeing, the conversation surrounding the election has shifted from focusing on age to political issues.
“The tone of the race has changed. We should go from talking about how old people are to talking about whether child care is affordable and accessible,” said Nicole Robinson, CEO of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. “Is there paid equity? Do we have mental health support for families? That’s what I’m excited about. Let’s get to the issues that women and families care about.”
Harris’ presidential campaign in 2020 did not see the same positive response. She struggled with securing support within the Black community, and her previous work as a prosecutor created some challenges.
“You have a lot of people who are locked up,” Jackson said. “You’re going to hear the GOP attack her as a prosecutor even though she was doing her job. But I think she has an opportunity to have a do-over.”
Harris has been capitalizing on Black fraternities and sororities during her campaign, and attended another event for sorority group Zeta Phi Beta on Wednesday — continuing to lean heavily on the support of Black women.
“There are so many Black women in our communities,” Robinson said. “These are the women who want to talk about issues like child care, health care, abortion, reproductive justice. Now they are going to be excited, and they are going to mobilize. And I am excited about bringing those issues to the forefront.”
