Kentucky city's first African American mayor sworn in

Hundreds of people came out to watch history being made. On Saturday afternoon, Beverly Chester-Burton was sworn in as the City of Shively's (Kentucky) first African American mayor.

Burton’s journey started as a sharecropper’s daughter from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. However, she made a pit stop in Shively, becoming the city’s first African American mayor.

“I like to think that I am modeling the way for a lot of others that are interested in taking this journey, “ Burton said.

Burton has been dedicated to Shively since her ten years as a city council member. She stayed dedicated after she lost her first mayoral campaign in 2008. Her former UofL classmate and city council member Maria Johnson said when Burton became the first African American on the city council, she knew that was just the beginning.

[SOURCE: WAVE]

Donna Brazile's new book: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics

The four most powerful African American women in politics Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore share the story of their friendship and how it has changed politics in America.

The lives of black women in American politics are remarkably absent from the shelves of bookstores and libraries. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics is a sweeping view of American history from the vantage points of four women who have lived and worked behind the scenes in politics for over thirty years―Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore―a group of women who call themselves The Colored Girls. Like many people who have spent their careers in public service, they view their lives in four-year waves where presidential campaigns and elections have been common threads. For most of the Colored Girls, their story starts with Jesse Jackson’s first campaign for president. From there, they went on to work on the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Over the years, they’ve filled many roles: in the corporate world, on campaigns, in unions, in churches, in their own businesses and in the White House. Through all of this, they’ve worked with those who have shaped our country’s history―US Presidents such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, well-known political figures such as Terry McAuliffe and Howard Dean, and legendary activists and historical figures such as Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, and Betty Shabazz.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics is filled with personal stories that bring to life heroic figures we all know and introduce us to some of those who’ve worked behind the scenes but are still hidden. Whatever their perch, the Colored Girls are always focused on the larger goal of “hurrying history” so that every American ― regardless of race, gender or religious background ― can have a seat at the table. This is their story.

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Summer Lee wins Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Summer Lee of Swissvale Pennsylvania has won the Democratic primary as a newcomer to the 34th State House District in a wide victory against incumbent Paul Costa.

Lee is likely headed to Harrisburg next year; she will not face a Republican challenger in the general election in November. She will become one of the few African-American women in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Summer Lee’s supporters have been vocal on Facebook and Twitter, using the hashtag #SummerIsComing, a play on HBO show Game of Thrones’ well-known slogan “Winter Is Coming.” The phrase is a vote of confidence for a candidate challenging a local political dynasty. And her supporters believe, like winter in Westeros, she’s a long-awaited phenomenon.

"This win means everything we've been trying to say: trust black women, elect black women," said Marita Garrett, the first black female mayor of Wilkinsburg and a Lee supporter. "By Summer shattering the glass and becoming the first black female representative from this area, it's just the beginning."

Read more: Progressive Summer Lee Defeats Incumbent Paul Costa In 34th State House District

Black Female Democrats Pen Open Letter About Lack of DNC Support

Dozens of black, female Democratic activists and leaders have written an open letter to Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Tom Perez about the lack of support they receive from the party. Signatories include state and federal lawmakers like Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).


Read that letter below:

Dear Chairman Tom Perez:

Black women have consistently shown up for Democrats as a loyal voting bloc, demonstrating time and again that we are crucial to the protection of progressive policies such as economic security, affordable healthcare and criminal justice reform.

We have voted and organized our communities with little support or investment from the Democratic Party for voter mobilization efforts. We have shown how Black women lead, yet the Party's leadership from Washington to the state parties have few or no Black women in leadership. More and more, Black women are running for office and winning elections — with scant support from Democratic Party infrastructure.

Well, like civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, who testified at the 1964 Democratic convention demanding Blacks have a seat and voice within the Party, we are "sick and tired of being sick and tired."

The Democratic Party has a real problem. The data reveals that Black women voters are the very foundation to a winning coalition, yet most Black voters feel like the Democrats take them for granted. The Party's foundation has a growing crack and if it is not addressed quickly, the Party will fall even further behind and ultimately fail in its quest to strengthen its political prospects.

Investing in Black women's political leadership is a solid return on investment, one that is rooted in facts and data. In recent years, Black women have proven to be the most active voting demographic in the nation. In 2008 and 2012, 70 percent of eligible Black women cast ballots, accounting for the highest voter turnout of any racial or gender group, proving that our voting power can and has determined elections. A closer look at the data shows that in 2012 Barack Obama won re-election by 4.9 million votes.

The 115th Congress has 20 Black women—the largest number in history. The group includes Kamala Harris, who is the second Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, a body that has not had a Black woman's voice in 20 years. In addition, Lisa Blunt Rochester became the first woman and Black person to represent Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives.Black women cast a total of 11.4 million ballots, providing the margin he needed to win. This past November, even with a clear lack of voter mobilization investment and a decrease in overall Black voter turnout, 94 percent of Black women voted to keep this country moving forward by casting ballots for Hillary Clinton. In addition, on November 8th we saw important elected-office gains by Black women despite the otherwise dismal defeat of progressives during the general election.

Black women also made important progressive wins in Minnesota, where IIhan Omar became the first Somali-American Muslim elected to the state legislature; Kentucky, where Attica Scott became the first woman elected to the state legislature in 20 years; Cook County IL, where Kim Foxx was elected state's attorney; Orange County FL elected Aramis Ayala the first Black state's attorney in the Florida's history; the state of Texas elected its first woman Sheriff, Zena Stephens; and Jefferson County, AL elected nine Black women to the judicial branch.

This February, in the DNC elections, we saw an increase in overall diversity within the officer ranks, but no increase in leadership representation of Black women. Since taking office, you have met with and listened to key constituencies. But you have yet to host a Black women leaders convening.

Organizing without the engagement of Black women will prove to be a losing strategy, and there is much too much at stake for the Democratic Party to ignore Black women. Following your recent announcement of your top staff hire, we are left with significant concerns about how the Party is developing its strategies and allocating its resources. In the absence of our inclusion in discussions about the Party's forward movement, we question whether the Party values our loyalty and takes our commitment seriously.

In this termed "movement building moment," how will you lead the Democrats forward? Will Black women be among those at the helm, helping to design the strategies, craft the message, mobilize troops, and lead the way - as policymakers, political strategists, activists, and elected officials?

We respectfully request that you convene a meeting with Black women leaders and activists where you can hear not only our concerns, but also our thoughts on how the DNC can invest in Black women's engagement and leadership moving forward from hiring of key staff and consultants to investment in training and leadership opportunities.

The time is now for progressive power brokers and the very Party that we have carried on our back to the voting booth, year in and year out, to make a sustained and substantial investment in our leadership and priorities.

We have demonstrated our commitment to the Party. It is time for the Party to demonstrate its commitment to us. We stand ready to join you, your team, and Party leadership on the front lines — but not as silent partners.

In service,

Anita Estell

Avis A. Jones-DeWeever, Ph.D. - Founder, Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women

Carol McDonald

Christina M. Greer, PhD

Dana Vickers Shelley

Glynda Carr - Co-Founder, Higher Heights for America

Kimberly Peeler-Allen - Co-Founder, Higher Heights for America

Khalilah Brown-Dean, PhD

L. Joy Williams

Marcela E. Howell

Melanie L. Campbell

Nakisha M. Lewis - Co-Founder #SheWoke Committee

Roslyn M. Brock - Chairman Emeritus, NAACP

Star Jones

Sydney Kamlager-Dove - Vice President, Los Angeles Community College District

Tamika Mallory

Zina Pierre

Delegate Lashreces Aird - Virginia

Delegate Marcia Price - Virginia

Delegate Pam Queen - Maryland

State Senator Holly Mitchell- California

State Representative Kathy Sykes - Mississippi

State Representative Laura Hall - Alabama

State Representative Rena Moran - Minnesota

Honorable Marcia Fudge - (D-OH)

Honorable Joyce Beatty - (D-OH)

Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman - (D-NJ)

Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson - (D-TX)

Honorable Barbara Lee - (D-CA)

Honorable Stacey Plaskett - (D-NY)

Honorable Yvette Clarke - (D-CA)

Milk River PAC Focus on Black Female Political Empowerment

On March 30 in Washington DC, Milk River PAC hosted a dialog on the Impact of Women in Politics that featured Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and political commentator Ana Navarro.

The goal of Milk River PAC is to inspire more African American women to run for Congress. Along with The Collective, Democracy in Color, and Higher Heights, Milk River PAC is another effort focused on galvanizing support behind people of color running for office.

Milk River PAC and Higher Heights are specifically focused on Black women. Black women were number one of any group on America in voting percentage for the 2008 election cycle. But exactly how to create political power at at time when Republicans control Congress and the White House was one of many challenges.

The piece of the puzzle that has yet to be perfected is the money. But with the growing influence and power base of Black women in politics may soon fix that problem.

The specific goal of Higher Heights is to “identify, educate, and engage Black women across the socio-economic spectrum to elect Black women, influence elections and move public policy.”

As these political organizations grow stronger the money is soon to follow.

[SOURCE: POLITICS 365]