Biden Needs a Black Woman as His VP

Here’s the short list

Donna M. Owens
ZORA

--

A photo collage of Susan Rice, Stacey Abrams, and Kamala Harris against a United States flag background.
Photo illustration; Image sources: Scott Olson/Getty Images, Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images, Bill Clark/Getty Images

The year was 1993: Stacey Abrams was a Spelman College student who’d been invited to speak at the 30th anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington. Standing before a crowd of thousands who had assembled on the National Mall that August day, she delivered a passionate speech about jobs, justice, peace, and public service.

“Today I come to you as a young person, as a young woman, as a young Black woman to ask you to use us,” Abrams said in remarks captured on C-SPAN video. “Use the young people of the United States of America to pave a road that will last forever… pave a road that will let us become the foot soldiers.”

More than two decades later, Abrams, who narrowly lost Georgia’s gubernatorial race in 2018, continues to offer her service. After former Vice President Joe Biden — now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee — announced during a March debate that he would select a woman to be his running mate, speculation and anticipation have reached a fever pitch.

Abrams was recently quoted in Elle magazine as saying she would be “honored” to be a vice-presidential candidate. “I would be an excellent running mate,” the former Georgia Minority Leader, Yale-educated attorney, and founder of Fair Fight told the publication. “I have the capacity to attract…

--

--