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POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

Black Women have voted at a higher rate than all other groups of men and Women during the last two presidential elections but remain underrepresented at every level of federal and state political office.

 

In recent elections throughout the country, Black Women have been the force behind historic victories. However, these efforts still go unrecognized outside of a temporary moment in the news cycle. In California, the force of Black Women in the political world is often unnoticed. However, Black Californian Women have led the way in the country when it comes to political arena.

 

California has four Black Women in Congress, which is the largest contingency than any other state. At the state level, there are four Black Women legislators all from Southern California and no Black women serving in a statewide office. There are more than 100 Black Women serving in local offices including city mayor, board of supervisor, school board, health district, utility board, community college board, city clerk and city treasurer. 

 

Black Women are more than a vote…it’s our political participation that matters the most. We don’t just vote; we are active at every level in the effort to ensure representation that supports our issues and concerns. We must continue to be active. However, we must also redefine what political participation looks like and means to us.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Run Sista Run…

  • Prepare Black Women for higher office by focusing on development and training those currently in office and planning to run using existing programs and supplementing with mentorship programs (e.g.  Los Angeles African American Women for Political Action Institute, Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) and Emerge)

  • Join statewide and local fundraising, educational and organizing organizations that provide support for Black Women candidates and those focused on issues impacting our community (e.g. BWOPA, Black Women Democratic Club, Black Women Institute of Leadership Development)

  • Hold elected officials accountable on every level

    • Produce annual score/report card

    • Secure inclusive riders, which is an agreement to hire Black women in critical leadership positions in their office if elected

  • Increase the number of Black Women delegates, commissioners and appointees

  • Collaborate with Black elected officials on policy development, support and advocacy to ensure our collective voice and needs are elevated

  • Conduct Get Out the Vote Campaign particularly to support Black Women candidates and those who support issues important to our community

  • Establish a statewide Commission on the Status of Black Women and Girls to serve as resource to organizations, individuals, entities and agencies

  • Advocate for more public and private funding to address disparity gaps on quality of life indexes

  • Issue annual policy platform locally and statewide

  • Support the advocacy efforts for cannabis funding and push to allocate available funding to communities most marginalized by the criminalization of criminal justice polices and activities at every level using zip codes and other data points

  • Create annual Black Women lobby day at every level of government to get maximum participation

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