Even though we were one of the last groups to obtain the right to vote, Black women have been trendsetters in US politics for decades. In 1972, Shirley Chisholm became the first woman – period – not just Black woman – to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Now 50 years later, Kamala Harris serves as yet another Black woman to pave the way for others. She the FIRST woman, FIRST African American, FIRST… she’s literally the first anything besides white male to become Vice President-elect.
Beyond Kamala, there were so many other Black women key players in this election. Let’s talk about my girl Stacey Abrams for a minute. Two years ago she lost her run for Georgia governor in a controversial election plagued by obvious voter suppression in Black communities. But did our sis just give up and retire after this? Absolutely not. She and her Fair Fight voting Rights Organization helped register more than 800,000 new people in Georgia since 2018. If you don’t know how MAJOR that number is, just know that Biden won Georgia only by about 15,000 votes. I think it’s clear to say that Stacey might’ve lost the battle in 2018, but she most certainly won the war this year.
So girl, let this be a reminder that when you take those L’s, even if it’s in public, don’t give up. Lay low for a bit, work in silence, and then when they least expect it… shock the world!
Stacey wasn’t the only melanated sista to have an impact on this election. Latasha Brown co-founded Black Voters Matter after she lost in 1998 by a little over 200 votes with 800 ballots not being counted since they were “found” after the deadline. She took her L on the chin and dedicated much of her life to making sure that this didn’t happen again in other areas because she knew that her minor setback was simply preparing her for a major comeback.
If it wasn’t for Black women, this country would most definitely be singing a very different tune right now. Black women led the charge in increasing Black voter turnout in Georgia, Michigan, and Philadelphia just to name a few. Our work and impact were simply a testament to how magical we truly are. We showed up and showed out where it mattered knowing full well that we would not be given our flowers for it unless we gave them to ourselves. And guess what? We’ll do it again because we’re true to this – not new to this.
Love,
Maleigha
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