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Criticisms that @ReformersNew& #39;s lacked BIPOC candidates are fair & should be discussed – with a lot of context.
I echo the @MarthaNAyon& #39;s thoughtful points.
In this
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread"> I want to add both some context to promote more discussion and my own initial thoughts on this issue.
(1/16) https://twitter.com/MarthaNAyon/status/1286633842758090752">https://twitter.com/MarthaNAy...
I echo the @MarthaNAyon& #39;s thoughtful points.
In this
(1/16) https://twitter.com/MarthaNAyon/status/1286633842758090752">https://twitter.com/MarthaNAy...
Among other things, the @ReformersNew effort provided us a chance to observe the structural racism of candidate recruitment.
In October 2019, New Reformers had its launch event. That& #39;s when we began publicizing our wish to support anyone who wanted to run w/ NR.
(2/16)
In October 2019, New Reformers had its launch event. That& #39;s when we began publicizing our wish to support anyone who wanted to run w/ NR.
(2/16)
Between the launch & the start of petitioning, 34 people reached out to @ReformersNew expressing interest in running. Of the 34 who approached us:
• 20 (59%) were NHW (non-Hispanic White);
• 14 (41%) were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or [other] Person Of Color).
(3/16)
![Between the launch & the start of petitioning, 34 people reached out to @ReformersNew expressing interest in running. Of the 34 who approached us:• 20 (59%) were NHW (non-Hispanic White);• 14 (41%) were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or [other] Person Of Color).(3/16)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdvqwAwX0AIe-F3.jpg "Between the launch & the start of petitioning, 34 people reached out to @ReformersNew expressing interest in running. Of the 34 who approached us:• 20 (59%) were NHW (non-Hispanic White);• 14 (41%) were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or [other] Person Of Color).(3/16)")
• 20 (59%) were NHW (non-Hispanic White);
• 14 (41%) were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or [other] Person Of Color).
(3/16)
During that same period, those of us in @ReformersNew reached out through our respective activist networks to people whom we already knew & whom we thought could be great candidates. All told, we approached 53 people:
• 27 (51%) were BIPOC;
• 26 (49%) were NHW.
(4/16)
• 27 (51%) were BIPOC;
• 26 (49%) were NHW.
(4/16)
So combining the two categories above, we had a total of 87 prospective candidates:
• 46 (53%) were NHW;
• 41 (47%) were BIPOC.
Of those 87 prospects, 34 ultimately decided to run with @ReformersNew. Here& #39;s the breakdown of these 34:
• 25 were NHW;
• 09 were BIPOC.
(5/16)
• 46 (53%) were NHW;
• 41 (47%) were BIPOC.
Of those 87 prospects, 34 ultimately decided to run with @ReformersNew. Here& #39;s the breakdown of these 34:
• 25 were NHW;
• 09 were BIPOC.
(5/16)
Here& #39;s the breakdown of @ReformersNew& #39;s prospect-to-candidate conversions:
• 25 of 46 NHW (54%) decided to run w/ us
• 09 of 41 BIPOC (22%) decided to run w/ us
Put another way: the ratio of the conversion rate among NHWs to that among BIPOCs was greater than 2-to-1.
(6/16)
• 25 of 46 NHW (54%) decided to run w/ us
• 09 of 41 BIPOC (22%) decided to run w/ us
Put another way: the ratio of the conversion rate among NHWs to that among BIPOCs was greater than 2-to-1.
(6/16)
Why did 4 out of 5 BIPOC prospects ultimately decide not to run?
For many of us, the answer will not come as a surprise: substantial work & family commitments.
Those who had the time + money + energy + mental space to conduct a campaign were mostly (non-Hispanic) White.
(7/16)
For many of us, the answer will not come as a surprise: substantial work & family commitments.
Those who had the time + money + energy + mental space to conduct a campaign were mostly (non-Hispanic) White.
(7/16)
I should note that there were also 3 prospective candidates who decided to run but not w/ @ReformersNew, and all 3 were BIPOC. Two are Black & decided to run as part of an all-Black slate (https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✊" title="Erhobene Faust" aria-label="Emoji: Erhobene Faust">), while the third, who is Asian, decided to run w/ a legislative candidate.
(8/16)
(8/16)
Of the 34 who decided to run w/ NR, 8 didn& #39;t make the ballot. At this stage we lost 3 BIPOC candidates:
• 2 BIPOC weren& #39;t able to get enough signatures under COVID;
• 1 BIPOC got enough signatures but was knocked off b/c of a petition defect that wasn& #39;t cured in time.
(9/16)
• 2 BIPOC weren& #39;t able to get enough signatures under COVID;
• 1 BIPOC got enough signatures but was knocked off b/c of a petition defect that wasn& #39;t cured in time.
(9/16)
Of the 34 who decided to run w/ @ReformersNew, 26 made the ballot: 20 NHW, 6 BIPOC.
I& #39;ve typed many #& #39;s, so here& #39;s a recap.
NHWs:
• 46 Prospects
• 25 Candidates (54%)
• 20 On the ballot (43%)
BIPOCs:
• 41 Prospects
• 09 Candidates (22%)
• 06 On the ballot (15%)
(10/16)
I& #39;ve typed many #& #39;s, so here& #39;s a recap.
NHWs:
• 46 Prospects
• 25 Candidates (54%)
• 20 On the ballot (43%)
BIPOCs:
• 41 Prospects
• 09 Candidates (22%)
• 06 On the ballot (15%)
(10/16)
Of the 26 @ReformersNew candidates who made the ballot, 12 lost:
• 07 NHW
• 05 BIPOC.
Of the 5 BIPOC, 3 lost in very close races, by <5%.
Moreover, each of these 3 BIPOC ran against people who are not only NHWs but longtime incumbents (incl. 2 career legislators).
(11/16)
• 07 NHW
• 05 BIPOC.
Of the 5 BIPOC, 3 lost in very close races, by <5%.
Moreover, each of these 3 BIPOC ran against people who are not only NHWs but longtime incumbents (incl. 2 career legislators).
(11/16)
Of @ReformersNew& #39;s 26 who made the ballot, 14 were elected.
• 13 of 20 our balloted NHW candidates won;
• 01 of 06 our balloted BIPOC candidates won.
I should note that our BIPOC candidate who won her race is Latina, but to many she presents as non-Hispanic White.
(12/16)
• 13 of 20 our balloted NHW candidates won;
• 01 of 06 our balloted BIPOC candidates won.
I should note that our BIPOC candidate who won her race is Latina, but to many she presents as non-Hispanic White.
(12/16)
Now that I& #39;ve laid out the stats, I& #39;ll ask the question that they put in the forefront of my mind:
In this structurally racist political economy, which makes it so tough for BIPOC to make it – from desire to commitment to ballot to win – what can we do? What must we do?
(13/16)
In this structurally racist political economy, which makes it so tough for BIPOC to make it – from desire to commitment to ballot to win – what can we do? What must we do?
(13/16)
For me, a good first step is recognizing that I didn& #39;t support BIPOCs enough. Though drawing new, vivid lessons from this experience will require more time, an old lesson was humbly reinforced:
Many of us BIPOC need much more support than NHW to hit the same benchmarks.
(14/16)
Many of us BIPOC need much more support than NHW to hit the same benchmarks.
(14/16)
A 2nd step I& #39;ll take is to measure – objectively, coldly, even – how much time I spend with BIPOC vs. NHW people, and then take measures to change that ratio significantly. We only have so much time in a day; relationships have a way of determining which projects to do.
(15/16)
(15/16)
A 3rd step I& #39;ll be taking is to adopt an approach to spending money that more closely reflects the reality that BIPOC need much more support – perhaps exponentially more – than do NHW in order to hit the same benchmarks.
Ok that& #39;s it for now. I welcome your thoughts.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙏" title="Folded hands" aria-label="Emoji: Folded hands">
(16/16)
Ok that& #39;s it for now. I welcome your thoughts.
(16/16)
