Senator-Elect Angela Alsobrooks had a poignant message during the Win with Black Women call on Sunday, November 10, 2024. As she and Senator-Elect Lisa Blunt Rochester prepare to become only the 4th and 5th Black female senators to serve in the U.S. Senate, she expressed the importance of us investing in collective power, collective strategy, and collective action. I urge you to go to www.winwithBlackwomen.org and check out what’s going on and learn about this wonderful movement.
Praising the work of the many who worked to register, educate, and encourage citizens to vote, Sen. Alsobrooks’ words reminded us that we are undefeated and victorious. Sen. Blunt Rochester talked about history, and self-help; which is critical because the pain is real! To say their messages were inspiring would be an understatement. And to have them joined on the call by Sen. Laphonza Butler, well, it was definitely a Black History Moment. They gave me hope – we are going to be alright!
Joining the calls on Sunday evenings has become a ritual for me. This week’s call was FIRE! Founder Jotaka Eaddy was phenomenal as were the women who followed, like NCNW’s Shavon Arline Bradley, Donna Brazile, Star Jones, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. A passionate Ms. Brazile gave marching orders as she said, “Our work is not done.” She encouraged the more than 10,000 on the call to help rebuild the Democratic Party.
Now, I have expressed my disappointment with the Democratic Party because I have viewed it as weak, lacking in heart, and just straight-up anti-Black men, especially. Too often they cry ”poor-mouth” but turn around and use their resources to fund houses and lavish lifestyles for unqualified consultants who blow smoke up their butts with outdated strategies and campaigns. Then to top things off, they diss their most loyal voting base! They treat us like execs did TV’s Soul Train Founder Don Cornelius back in the day, dismissing him by saying they didn’t need to advertise to Black viewers because we were going to buy Cadillacs anyway. No need to spend their money on Black voters, because we vote Democratic, is the sentiment.
Then, I saw how they treated President Joe Biden. They act like punks when it comes to dealing with Trump but they went after Biden like thugs! Then some have the unmitigated gall to blame Vice President Kamala Harris for an election they were losing before she got in the race — expecting her to do in three months what they hadn’t done in more than three years! Give me a break!
Black women and Black men did their jobs on November 5th and the numbers show that for the most part, people of color also did; so we won’t fall into another den of lies and disinformation and turn on our allies. No one is going to stop me from whatever process I go through. Forewarned is forearmed, though. I don’t know how long it will take, but PTSD is real and I know that as I walk around with the front of my shirt reading #victorious and the back, #undefeated, I encourage those who are clueless to proceed with caution. I have work to do and I am going to channel the spirits of my ancestors and those dynamic women with #winwithblackwomen and continue my mantra of being gracious in victory or defeat. Still, be careful!
