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March 7, 2018 Page 13 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. O PINION Lasting Effects of Shirley Chisholm’s Legacy Black women taking aim at the status quo by k elly d ittMar and g lynda C arr Fifty years ago, Shirley Chisholm campaigned suc- cessfully to become the first black woman in Congress. Four years later, she became the first woman of color and the first African American to win delegate votes at a major party presidential convention. Throughout her presidential campaign, she attracted voters to the “Chisholm Trail” with her motto and reputation of be- ing “unbought and unbossed.” But Chisholm’s trailblazing didn’t end with her presidential defeat. She served in Congress for another decade and left a legacy with lasting effects to this day. The 2018 elections will mark another stop on the Chisholm Trail, where black women are poised to build on Chisholm’s legacy of leadership, determi- nation, and desire to disrupt the status quo. Amidst reports of the “surge” of women running in 2018 are lack women can- didates at every level, includ- ing some with the potential to make history. Perhaps most no- tably, 2018 could see the elec- tion of the first black woman governor in the United States. The potential to harness and expand black women’s politi- cal power is not limited to can- didates this year. Black women voted at the highest rates of any race and gender group in both the 2008 and 2012 presiden- tial elections, and again in the 2017 special U.S. Senate elec- tion in Alabama. If that race is any guide, black women voters appear mobilized to turn out in high numbers again in 2018. But before we can measure progress for black women in election 2018, we need to take stock of black women’s current political power. That’s why the Center for American Wom- en and Politics and the High- er Heights Leadership Fund teamed up again to release “The Chisholm Effect: Black Women in American Politics 2018.” The report outlines the status of black women in American politics today. Despite being 7.3 percent of the U.S. popu- lation, black women are less than 5 percent of officeholders elected to statewide executive offices, Congress, and state legislatures. Black women are 5 of the mayors in the nation’s top 100 most populous cities. Since Chisholm served as the sole black woman in Con- gress, 38 black women have served in Congress from 16 states, including 2 black wom- en senators. Over the same half-century, 12 black women have been elected to statewide executive office. These num- bers are small when considered within the 50-year context, but the pace of advancement in re- cent years marks momentum to build upon. Ten of the 12 black women who have served in statewide elected executive office have held office in the past two de- cades. In 1990, just one Black woman served in Congress; 18 years later, that number is up to 19. In just the last 5 years, 8 black women have been elect- ed mayor in the 100 most pop- ulous cities in the U.S. And just this year, Sheila Oliver became the first Democratic black woman lieutenant governor na- tionwide. This momentum will only continue - and increase - with work. Black women are doing the work every day to engage their communities in the po- litical process, to make their own voices heard, and to take their seats at the tables of gov- ernance. Organizations like Higher Heights are working to amplify those voices and hold political leaders accountable for inclusion. And, with Higher Heights, the Center for Ameri- can Women and Politics is con- tinuing to conduct research and programs that both identify and tackle barriers to black wom- en’s political progress. But the work doesn’t stop with us. Recognizing the im- perative of black women’s political inclusion is a respon- sibility we all share. When Chisholm was campaigning amidst war, social unrest, and crises of leadership, she ar- gued, “At present, our country needs women’s idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.” Those words ring especial- ly true today, as our country confronts significant challeng- es at home and abroad. In this moment, the opportunities for meeting this demand while in- creasing black women’s politi- cal power, especially in elected office are great. And we’ve got some guidance on how to do it in 2018: Follow the Chisholm Trail. Kelly Dittmar is an assistant professor of political science and a Center for American Women and Politics scholar; and Glynda Carr is co-founder of Higher Heights for America. Workers See Minimal Impact in Take Home Pay The tax scam starts to sink in J osh h oxie It’s no fun be- ing scammed. I distinctly re- member looking for my first big city apartment and finding an ad that looked perfect. Beautiful picture, cheap rent, great loca- tion. It sounded too good to be true and, sadly, it was. Just send a check in the mail, and don’t forget to send over your Social Security number, they said. We’ll mail you a key. Fortunately, I didn’t take the bait. I’ve also managed to dodge the countless “Nigerian royalty” looking to make me rich via e-mail, and the endless robo-calls about lowering my by utility bills. Not everyone is so lucky. If there’s one constant of scams, it’s that given enough opportu- nities, they’ll get somebody to give up the goods. Today, that somebody is the United States. As their W-2s arrive in the mail, U.S. workers are starting to see the mini- mal impact of the new tax changes passed by Congress late last year. While the bud- get-busting package was a boon for millionaires, it means next to nothing for ordinary people. Still, there’s a massive pub- lic relations campaign being waged right now by Republi- can donors backing the Trump tax cuts. Make the rich richer, they say, and we’ll all benefit. And while you’re at it, they’ve got some swampland in Florida for sale. The Koch Brothers alone will spend $20 million on ads selling the tax bill. This is a drop in the bucket compared to the $1.4 billion they stand to gain every year in tax breaks. It’s also a tiny fraction of their overall campaign spending on the 2018 midterms elections, which is projected to reach $400 million. The Kochs have their work cut out for them. A new poll from Politico shows most work- ers report seeing no increase in their take home pay after the new tax laws took effect. This is important. The whole premise behind adding $1.5 trillion to the debt, giving massive handouts to the ultra-wealthy, and giving a tax break to the nation’s most prof- itable corporations was that working folks would also get a bit of cash. Turns out, they’re not seeing that money. But the PR push is having an impact. While majority of the Amer- ican people never supported the bill, most polls have shown an uptick in support since De- cember. The most recent poll — from GBA Strategies — found that 44 percent of voters oppose the law, compared to just 40 percent who support it. The GBA study had anoth- er interesting finding: Voters are incredibly susceptible to messaging on this issue. That’s why the GOP donor class is spending unprecedented sums on ads. The tax law is also getting a boost from corporations’ pub- lic relations departments, who are making splashy announce- ments about bonuses for their workers. Many of those bonuses, it turns out, are being doled out to garner political support for the tax bill, not for the benefit of the business or as a thank you to workers. They’re also supposed to distract the public from the massive onslaught of layoffs that came in the wake of the tax cuts — from Walmart to Coca-Cola to Comcast and many more. The Trump tax cuts are a scam, benefiting the wealthy at the expense of everyone else. If you happened to find yourself caught up in the scam, don’t blame yourself. The sales pitch was mighty impressive. But also, don’t get scammed twice. Josh Hoxie directs the Proj- ect on Taxation and Opportu- nity at the Institute for Policy Studies. Distributed by Other- Words.org. Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer Call 503-288-0033 or email ads@portlandobserver.com
