Black Women Lead the Charge on Election Day

Statement from In Our Own Voice President and CEO Marcela Howell

WASHINGTON — Black women voters turned out in unprecedented numbers on Election Day, delivering wins to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Marcela Howell, founder and president of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, issued the following statement:

“We won! Black women not only turned out to vote in record numbers to elect the first woman and the first Black vice president, Black women helped to move this country into the future.

“Like in 2016 and 2018, Black women voted for equality and justice — we helped to deliver Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to the Biden-Harris ticket. We not only turned out the vote, we turned out the Black vote, getting our family, friends and neighbors to the polls.

“Despite unfair voter ID laws, purging of Black voters from the voting rolls, long lines at the polls and other barriers to casting mail-in ballots in the era of COVID, Black voters cast ballots in unprecedented numbers. That turnout was as a result of campaigns like #IAMAVOTER, dedicated to registering, organizing and turning out Black women voters. Through our #IAMAVOTER campaign, we were able to engage more than 25 million Black women voters through digital ads, phone banking, GOTV billboards, texting and direct mail to voters in key states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania and Texas. Just as important as getting those voters to the polls, we also have primed them to stay engaged with the political system between elections and to hold elected officials accountable.

“Our fight for equality is far from over. With this election, we rejected the new Jim Crow era — fueled by Trump’s racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic rhetoric and policies. Now, the politicians we elected are charged with reclaiming the ground we lost and fulfilling their promises to govern with dignity, decency and fairness for all. Black women will continue to lead the diverse coalition that is rumbling across the country, standing up to oppression and saying no to the divisiveness of the last four years.

“Over the weekend, Black women celebrated; today, we continue to organize. We will lead the country to a brighter future — follow us!”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure reproductive justice for all women, femmes and girls. Our eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.