Page 8 The Skanner June 13, 2018
News
Black Women Make History Nationwide with Runs for Political Office
By Lauren Poteat (NNPA
Newswire Contributor)
his year, an unprec-
edented number of
Black women have
made history run-
ning for political offices
across the country.
According to black-
womeninpolitics.com, a
comprehensive database
that lists women of color
running for political of-
T
fices in 2018, currently,
over 600 Black female
candidates are running
for offices nationwide.
In an election that
is less than two weeks
away, London Breed, the
president of San Fran-
cisco’s Board of Supervi-
sors, who this week be-
came the city’s first Black
female mayor.
Raised by her grand-
mother in the pover-
ty-stricken Plaza East
Public Housing in the
Western Addition of San
Francisco, London Breed,
who was endorsed by U.S.
Senator Kamala Harris
(D-Calif.), said that this
current platform serves
as an excellent opportu-
nity to show the youth
that anything is possible.
“Every time someone
stands up for what they
believe in and they are
willing to work hard
for something, it gives
others permission to do
the same,” Breed said. “I
never thought I could be-
come mayor. Seeing my
name on the ballot the
other day when I voted
was something I never
imagined…I am proof
that no dream is too big.
There will be obstacles
and setbacks, but each
voice is powerful. We
PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
San Francisco’s London Breed Is Leading This Year’s Class of Women Making Black History in Politics
London Breed was elected this week as the first Black female mayor
in San Francisco’s history. Breed is part of a wave of Black female
candidates making bids for office this year.
need more voices in pol-
itics from people who
come from different ex-
periences.”
“
Each and
every
one of us
counts
Breed continued: “I
hope that young people,
no matter where they
come from, what they
look like, or how much
money they make, are
inspired to rise up and
make sure their voic-
es are heard, because
each and every one of us
counts.”
Focused on affordable
housing,
education,
homelessness, transpor-
tation, public safety and
a low unemployment
rate — which is current-
ly below three percent
in San Francisco — Breed
hopes to transform San
Francisco into a the city
that is inclusive and eq-
uitable for everyone.
“I want to create a San
Francisco where no one
is forced or allowed
to sleep on the street,”
Breed said. “Where we
help prevent people
from falling into home-
lessness in the first place,
by preserving affordable
housing and helping ten-
ants stay in their homes;
where we expand our
navigation center shel-
ter system and build
modular homes to house
people, as quickly as pos-
sible, and where we make
the tough investments in
mental health and sub-
stance abuse treatment
to get people the support
they need.”
Breed added that she
would challenge lead-
ers in the technology,
financial and healthcare
industries, and even the
University of Califor-
nia at San Francisco, to
do a better job of hiring
and promoting women,
members of the LGBTQ
community and people
of color.
“We need to build
bridges for our students
with employers, unions,
and industries early on,
help them secure intern-
ships, apprenticeships
and mentorships, and
ensure they have access
to the classes they need
to excel in their chosen
field,” Breed said.
On June 5, California
held elections in its“top-
two primary election
system,” for all candi-
dates and party affili-
ations, where the two
people with the highest
votes, will then advance
to the general election.
In addition to Cali-
fornia, in the state of
Alabama, a record num-
ber of Black women are
running for Democratic
offices in the deep-red
state, following Republi-
can Roy Moore’s defeat.
In globalcitizen.org, it
was reported that over
35 women of color were
running for various po-
litical offices in Alabama,
including Suzanne Cole-
man, who, if she wins,
will become one of the
first Black females to
serve District 5 in Ala-
bama’s House of Repre-
sentatives.
“Races such as these
are never an easy task
to complete, but I hope
the precedent that Black
women have set this year
will be used as a frame-
work by the youth for
their own futures,” Cole-
man said. “With my plat-
form I plan to focus on
education equality, aca-
demic reform and public
safety…children should
know their history and
laws should be made to fit
everyone, not just a few.”
Michigan State Rep.
Erika Geiss, who is run-
ning to represent Dis-
trict 6 in the state senate,
is focused on a number
of issues including eco-
nomics, education and
criminal justice. Geiss
believes that races such
as these will prove to be a
vital tool in placing more
women of color in higher
areas of office.
“This
phenomenon
of women of color run-
ning for political offices
all across the country
See WOMEN on page 11
