Black Women Quickly Raise Millions For Kamala Harris’ Presidential Campaign

By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer

Grasping the historic nature of the moment, tens of thousands of Black women have vowed to do everything in their power to see Vice President Kamala Harris exalted as the nation’s first woman, and first Black woman, president.

“We’re fired up and ready to go,” said Kellie Todd-Griffin, during a Zoom gathering hosted Monday by the California Black Women’s Collective. The session was one of several recent virtual calls to action.

Harris, 59, replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate after the current commander-in-chief dropped out of the race amid concerns about his age and health. Biden, who will turn 82 two weeks after the Nov. 5 election, tested positive for COVID-19 on July 17, while campaigning in Las Vegas. Harris’ Republican opponent, former president Donald Trump, isn’t far behind at age 78. Harris originally sought  the presidency  in 2019, seeking the Democratic nomination, but later dropped out before being chosen as then Vice President Joe Biden’s 2020 running mate.

Called To Action

Shortly after it was created on Sunday, 44,000 Black women reportedly clicked on a donation link and contributed  $1.5 million to VP Harris’ campaign, known as Team Harris, in just three hours.Team Harris says more than $100 million was raised between Sunday afternoon and Monday evening, with $81 million of that coming in during the campaign’s first 24 hours. Sixty-two percent of contributors are said to be first-time donors.

The Win With Black Women Zoom call crashed the online meeting platform, swelling dramatically from the originally planned 1,000 participants, according to organizers Jotaka Eaddy and Holli Holiday.

 Eaddy and Holiday also joined Todd-Griffin’s gathering despite getting little to no sleep since they started their fundraising efforts. 

While many had difficulty accessing the Win With Black Women call, local community advocate Vicki Boyd entered successfully and was able to listen in as Black leaders and celebrities encouraged the community to “show up and show out” for Harris. 

“Being on the Win With Black Women call was collectively empowering,” she said. “From the building momentum, enthusiasm and understanding that we, Black women, who had been advocating for years on the shoulders of our ancestors, are living in the historical moment (that could see) Kamala Harris as the first woman and the first Black and Asian American woman president of the United States of America.”

The California Black Women’s Collective’s call to action was a virtual Who’s Who of women in state government and politics. Among those making passionate pleas for support were Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters; California Treasurer Malia Cohen; Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber; former Senator Holly Mitchell turned Los Angeles City Councilmember Holly Mitchell; Karen Bass, Los Angeles’ first Black mayor; and current California Legislative Black Caucus members, Assemblymember Lori Wilson and Tina McKinnor; and BWOPA co-founder Dezi Woods-Jones.

“We have to work,” Woods-Jones said. “We cannot just assume that the money is going to do it by itself. We’ve got to remember to GOTV…get out the vote. We cannot assume that because we’re excited and people are inspired and engaged that they’re going to get out. We cannot let one vote go uncast.”

Members of Harris’ sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) were visibly supportive of the Biden-Harris ticket. The sorority itself is a non-profit organization and cannot endorse any party or individual candidate, but in the wake of Harris’ announcement, the AKAs joined the other Black sororities and fraternities, referred to as the Divine 9, in launching an “unprecedented” voter registration drive to activate thousands of chapters and members and ensure strong voter turnout.

Groups like the California Black Women’s Collective and BWOPA moblized previously during “Keep the Seat” efforts, to ensure Black women were in position to serve when Harris left the California Senate to become vice president, Gov. Gavin Newsom handed the role to then Secretary of State Alex Padilla; and when long-time Senator Dianne Feinstein died last September. Gov. Newsom did select a Black woman, LaPhonza Butler, as Feinstein’s successor. 

Congressmember Waters pointed to the work Black women do every day in regional, state and federal government and in the private industry to help African Americans advance.

“Black women are the best at this,” the veteran lawmaker said. “We know how to use the power that we have to help Black people and it is showing up everywhere.”

Black women continually show the world that they can get things done, Waters said. “You have put everyone on notice that we were here for Kamala and we were going to support her, we were going to organize and we were going to raise money and we were going to know the rules of the (Democratic National) Convention.”

Having more Black women in influential positions in politics matters, Congressmember Waters said. So will Blacks making up at least one-third of the delegates at the DNC. “That’s power,” Congressmember Waters said. “We’ll either use that power, or we will lose that power and we’re already starting to use that power by showing up and organizing.”

Matching Energy

Gail Jones is among the local women rallying behind VP Harris and the hashtag, #ImWithHer.

“I consider my vote the most important and valuable indicator of my support for any candidate,” Jones says, adding that she isn’t casting her ballot for Harris simply because she’s a Democrat and a Black woman. 

“I support Vice President Kamala Harris to become our next president for a multitude of reasons including policy alignment – primarily women’s rights; her lifelong political experience/qualifications; her intelligence; and her character,” Jones said.

She’s singing Harris’ praises “whenever, wherever and with whomever” she can.

 “This one will be monumental and the stakes are too high,” Jones said.

She’s encouraging her “bold and self-assured” granddaughter Kayla, to cast her vote similarly. It’ll be the 20-year-old’s first time weighing in on a presidential election. Like many have done in droves in the last few days, the elder Jones will gladly put her money where her mouth is and contribute to Harris’ presidential push.

“I have donated financially to the Biden-Harris campaigns in 2020 and 2024 and will continue to do so now that it is her campaign.”

Harris has rolled up her sleeves and will hit the ground running, likely in her signature Chuck Taylors. Given the country’s current racial and political climate, the campaign won’t be a sprint to the finish line, leaders say. Very little is for a Black woman in America.

“We’ve had tremendous challenges,” Secretary of State Weber said. “People don’t realize how hard it is for us to travel, to be women, to be elected officials, to be professionals, and how every day there’s something that chips away at our authority, that chips away at who we are, that tries to take our dignity.

“The hallmark of African Americans is oftentimes that even in the space of negative experiences, we have maintained our dignity, we have maintained our professionalism and we have maintained our spirit of fighting,” Dr. Weber continued. 

“This is going to be a great, great campaign,” she said. “I feel the energy.”