Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Warren, Harris courting black female voters
Endorsements reflect battle between hopefuls
Kamala Harris got a much-needed boost this past week when the California senator picked up the endorsement of Higher Heights, the country’s largest political organization aimed at electing black women.
But Elizabeth Warren would not be outdone. A day after Harris’ announcement, the Massachusetts senator won the backing of more than 100 black female activists. She also picked up the coveted endorsement of Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a black woman from her home state and the only member of the socalled Squad of progressive lawmakers not to side with presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
The dueling endorsements signal an emerging battle between Warren and Harris for the support of black women.
“We’re still on a long road, and black women are still shopping,” said Higher Heights co-founder Glynda Carr. Harris is “exactly what our organization was built on, to be able to help support and invest in qualified black women to run for offices at all levels. At the end of the day, even if she ends up not being your top choice, black women should be celebrating this moment.”
Warren will deliver a speech about the legacy of black female workers at historically black Clark Atlanta University this month. Around the same time, Harris plans to participate in a South Carolina town hall with Higher Heights.
When Harris launched her presidential bid on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, many observers assumed her bona fides as a graduate of historically black Howard University and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s oldest black sorority, would give her an advantage among the throng of candidates. Many young black women were especially excited about her candidacy. But that hasn’t yet translated into support as Harris falls in the polls.
In a call with reporters this past week, Harris acknowledged that the campaign still has work to do to win black women.
“I am fully aware that we are asking people to believe in something that they’ve not seen before,” Harris said. “This is the challenge I’ve faced in every office I’ve run for.”
Marcia Fudge, a Democratic congresswoman from Ohio and a Harris surrogate, said the senator is
running a campaign of belief that is common for black women.
“We kind of get counted out an awful lot,” Fudge said. “Our culture just is not a very trusting culture. We have to convince black women, in particular, that if we support her, we can win. Black women want to support another woman. She’s the only other choice. If they believe Kamala is not viable, (Warren) is the fallback position.”
Warren began attracting attention from black women this spring after announcing her plan to address racial disparities in maternal mortality at a town hall for female voters of color.
As a white woman, Warren, however, faced skepticism from black activists.
“We have experiences on the day-to-day that remind us that white women are likely to throw us under the bus if it means protecting themselves,” said Angela Peoples, the director of the organizing group Black Womxn For.
But Leslie Mac, another activist involved in organizing this week’s endorsement of Warren, said her decision came down to choosing a candidate who is “organizable” and “can be held accountable.”
“She has strong plans that will positively affect the material lives of black people,” Mac said.