As Democrats attempt to pick up the pieces in the wake of yet another electoral defeat, they are seeking a new guiding hand. The existing Democratic National Committee Chairman, Jaime Harrison, has chosen not to stand again. The party’s successors are currently under consideration and, unsurprisingly, an array of contenders have thrown their hats into the ring. Among these are Ben Wikler, current leader of the Wisconsin Democratic Party; Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party Chair Ken Martin; and former Maryland Governor, Martin O’Malley.
Others hint that seasoned Democratic schemer Rahm Emanuel, currently acting as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, may hit his stride and grasp the contentious reins. Yet somehow in this political scramble, the party has sidelined a vital demographic. Black women, consistently acknowledged as central pillars of the Democratic Party, have been conspicuously absent from this conversation. Not only did around 92 percent throw their strong support behind unsuccessful VP candidate Kamala Harris, but they also exhibited their fatigue towards a party that repeatedly overlooks their tireless contributions.
In this regard, Marcia Fudge, a former affiliate of Kamala Harris’ campaign, shared her observations. According to Fudge, she noted an alarming lack of Black candidates being considered for the role, despite encouragement from other influential Black figures within the party. Declining the suggestion to run for the role herself, Fudge expressed a deep-seated disappointment over the party’s negligence towards inclusive representation.
She firmly stated: ‘There should never be a conversation in the Democratic Party that does not include a Black woman.’ A fact the chair is the one to bear the party’s standard, serve as its public face, and be its primary fundraiser and cheerleader makes her argument even more compelling. The Democrats’ current leadership silence in this regard only heightens the concern.
The staunch commitment and loyalty of Black women to the Democratic cause have been persistently flaunted. Increasingly, however, they have started demanding more than recognition for their undeterred support. They seek an active role in decision-making and advocating their political agenda. Remarkably, seven Black women chaired state parties this election cycle, although none so far have explicitly shown interest in Jaime Harrison’s impending vacancy.
A sad reflection on the party’s lagging progress is the fact that Donna Brazile remains the only Black woman to serve as acting chair of the committee. DNC’s chair election is scheduled for the 1st of February. In Florida and Arizona, meetings critical to the party’s direction had been held by politically active Black women and state party chairs, respectively.
Georgia’s Democratic Party Chair, Nikema Williams, openly expressed her disenchantment with the party’s dismissive attitude. Meanwhile, Christale Spain, South Carolina Democratic Party Chair, voiced her surprise over the absence of Black women in chair discussions. She, however, understood why Black women may be hesitant to step forward after a strenuously lost race.
Spain dismissed any intentions of running for the chair, attaching the party’s nonchalant attitude as a major obstacle. To her, the chairing position is thankless, amplifying many folds for a Black woman without adequate backing. She speculated that this lack of visible support might be deterring Black women from stepping forward.
Harris’ historic yet failed run was a bitter pill to swallow for Black women. To them, said Spain, it echoed a limiting and very tangible glass ceiling. The one that, for Black women, is ‘double-paned,’ symbolizing an uphill struggle for equitable representation.
Spain lamented the imminent leadership void of Black women among Democrats. However, she strongly endorsed the appointment of a qualified Black woman. The party needs reenergizing and reshaping, and Black women could effectively provide this impetus.
In her phrase, ‘Why not a Black woman?’ Spain inadvertently summed up a question that Democratic higher-ups should have addressed long ago. Concerns grow as the Democratic Party risks morphing into a ‘make America great again’ semblance, lacking diversity in response to recent setbacks.
In conclusion, the Democratic Party is struggling to identify an effective leader despite having a plethora of seasoned politicians in its ranks. The absence of Black women in high positions is conspicuous by their absence and frustrating for informed observers.
Given their unwavering loyalty and indisputable value to the party, nominating a Black woman should be perceived as a simple next step, not an audacious leap. Are party leaders downplaying the definitive progress that could be brought about, or merely stuck in their ways?
In a dynamic socio-political era, to continually sideline a vital demographic is an unsettling course of action that the Democrats may be negligently following. As they ponder their next move, it’s critical to reflect on Marcia Fudge’s wise words: ‘There should never be a conversation in the Democratic Party that does not include a Black woman.’ The implications for future election cycles have yet to be seen.