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THREAD: Black women have long been the heart of the Democratic party but for decades that allegiance didn’t translate to their own political rise. Now, they are mobilized and demanding an overdue return on their investment ahead of November's election. http://apne.ws/40HpRD1
Historically Black women vote in extraordinary numbers, and they don’t vote alone: they usher their families, churches, neighbors to the polls. They've also been the architects behind many civil rights movements yet were often left on the sidelines. http://apne.ws/BnNTMxp
In 2016, African Americans did not turn out in the numbers the party had come to expect. For the first time in 20 years, their turnout declined in a presidential election. About 70% of eligible Black women voted in 2012. That number slipped to 64% in 2016. http://apne.ws/Rgx5P1r
Many saw the drop-off as a sign that Black voters had been taken for granted. Groups like She the People organized a vast network to usher more Black women into politics. “We have never been at this moment,” said She the People founder Aimee Allison. http://apne.ws/Ot2YAsf
The landscape has changed dramatically over recent cycles. Congress now has more Black women than ever: 22 congresswomen and one senator, Kamala Harris, who is just the second to serve in that chamber and a contender to be Joe Biden’s running mate. http://apne.ws/gYEAMNl
Despite progress, the nation has yet to see its first Black woman governor. Black women make up about 7.5% of the electorate but they held less than 2% of statewide elected executive offices as of November. http://apne.ws/KWaPWC6
Black women and their families are also still grappling with the longstanding effects of systemic racism, which has been thrust into the spotlight because of COVID-19's disparate impact on Black Americans and nationwide protests against police brutality. http://apne.ws/ksu3SdR
On average, Black women made 64 cents for every $1 a white man makes. “Black women have done everything that America told us was going to make us successful and we’re still at the bottom in terms of our return,” said LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matter. http://apne.ws/MlXVPqa
But @StaceyAbrams, whose run for Georgia governor helped inspire other women to seek office, said she believes Black women are going to be at the forefront of this election. “It has been a sea change in how vital our voices have been," Abrams told @AP. http://apne.ws/GyQMUR8
