Monitor

Stacey Abrams’ Bold Ambition Proves There’s Hope for Politics

WOC candidates may be seen as unlikable, unviable, and not electable but Abrams’ grit is changing that

Anjali Enjeti
ZORA
Published in
4 min readFeb 10, 2020

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Stacey Abrams, former Georgia House Democratic Leader, speaks to attendees at the National Press Club Headliners Luncheon in Washington, D.C., on Friday, November 15, 2019. Photo: Cheriss May/NurPhoto/Getty Images

InIn a recent interview, former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams stated that she thinks she’ll be president by the year 2040. There is no reason to doubt her prediction.

When rampant voter suppression torpedoed her bid for governor in 2018, she refused to concede. Instead, she launched Fair Fight, a new organization to educate voters about their rights. Her pivot brought national attention to the issue of election security. A few months later, her response to President Trump’s State of the Union address invigorated the Democratic Party. Her poise and tenacity have lifted the spirits of a weary and fatigued resistance movement, and her bold, unapologetic political ambition galvanizes Black, Indigenous, and other women and femmes of color to run for elected office.

It’s no secret that women and femmes, especially BIWOC are judged harshly for expressing their ambition. They are deemed entitled or aggressive, and are overlooked when it comes to positions in leadership. In an interview last year with New York Times Magazine, even Abrams acknowledged this reality. “Communities…

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ZORA
ZORA

Published in ZORA

A publication from Medium that centers the stories, poetry, essays and thoughts of women of color.

Anjali Enjeti
Anjali Enjeti

Written by Anjali Enjeti

Journalist, critic & columnist at ZORA. Essay collection SOUTHBOUND (UGA Press) & debut novel THE PARTED EARTH (Hub City Press), spring ’21. anjalienjeti.com.