Black Women Brought the Votes to Put Dem Men in Office, but They Won’t Vote to Put Us in Leadership
44 Years of Black women working to support Democratic leaders, but rarely called to lead
1977 Shirley Chisolm was the last Black woman elected to a congressional leadership position in the Democratic Party.
When Democratic Rep. Brenda Lawrence lost her leadership race by a single vote, she looked up the last time a Black woman was elected to sit at her party’s leadership table in the House.
She was stunned to learn it was Rep. Shirley Chisholm of New York — 44 years ago. Politico, by Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle.
According to Women In Congress archives, Rep. Chisholm served as the secretary of the House Democratic Caucus for four years and there hasn’t been another Black woman elected to a leadership position since.
How can this be considering it was Black and Brown women who helped Biden and Harris win this historic election and then tipped the 116th Congress in the Democrats’ favor with the Georgia flip? Democrats, “Dem men” — to be specific — where is the love, dedication, and most importantly the votes Black women have given you to secure your seats even when our own seats were stolen?
