Today’s social media and news headlines repeatedly broadcast blatantly racist and disrespectful attacks on Black women. It must end now!!! Black women have been the heart and soul of every movement and have consistently held down the Democratic party. As a community, we must stand by our Black woman leaders and help protect them from these threats and attacks.
Black women have shifted the narrative around national politics, kicked doors down, and blazed a pathway for generations of Black leadership to come. The data proves that it was Black women who saved California during the Newsom recall election.
For the first time in history, we are surrounded by strong Black women leaders representing every leadership level in Los Angeles County. We have Holly Mitchell on the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, Senator Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who is now a candidate for Congress, and Representative Karen Bass running to become the first Black Mayor the City of Los Angeles has ever seen. In addition to these powerful women, we have Black city councilwomen and school board members who are holding it down on the local level. We have no shortage of talent with Black women in leadership. However, we do have an abundance of disrespect.
Just recently, Supervisor Mitchell received a vile anonymous text message that she posted on her Facebook account. She was called “Black Lesbian trans looking B**,” “Black piece of sh*t,” and “Drag queen,” among many other derogatory statements. She was also sent messages telling her to go “find God, you nappy headed monkey.” These texts were racist, anti-woman, and violent! Our very own Representative Karen Bass was recently criticized in a recent op-ed piece, “Help Karen Bass Find Her Way,” which raises eyebrows because we never thought she lost her way. She’s running for Mayor. We will not sit silently while our leaders are being disrespected in this way.
The examples are no anomaly; we have heard from Black women school board members across the country who have been subjected to racially biased recall attempts as well as racially motivated public comments.
Being called to public service should not mean these women should be victimized in this manner. Black women leaders are pillars in our community. While disagreements and discourse are par for the course, these dog-whistle racist attacks must be called out for what they are and not be allowed to be guised as a political attack. These are radical racist threats. We do not condone this behavior and will call it out at every instance. The days of assaulting Black leaders with the absence of grave consequences must immediately cease!
In this spirit, even when we have opposing ideologies, we must discuss them appropriately. We are being attacked from all sides. We need to stick together to accomplish what we came to do: Win with Black Women.
Sincerely,
California Black Women’s Collective
Representing more than 1,500 Black Women throughout California
