President Biden’s Pick Could Galvanize Black Voters
Black women’s groups and other advocacy organizations are laying the groundwork to boost President Biden’s forthcoming Supreme Court nominee and fend off Republican attacks against her. Sources familiar with the organizing and mobilizing efforts revolving around the nominee say there are preparations underway to fundraise, advertise, provide media training and get the voices of Black women on the airwaves and in op-eds in newspapers around the country.
“We don’t even know who the nominee is, and they’re already attacking her, which is offensive,” said Karen Finney, a prominent Democratic strategist who has helped organize the efforts along with a collective of Black women leaders. “And we think it’s important to have our voices out there in coordination with many others to say, ‘It’s time.’” “This is about representation,” Finney added. “This is about having a Supreme Court with a diversity of lived experiences.” Another Democrat involved in the efforts put it this way: “We cannot allow this to get marred in foolishness.”
When Biden was running for the office in 2020, droves of Black women got together to lobby for him to choose one of their own as his running mate. They hammered home the point that Black women helped catapult him to victory, with more than 200 leaders signing on to a letter to help apply pressure. “We have not stopped organizing, but now it’s like it’s been a revival,” said Donna Brazile, a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman who participates in the weekly calls and is involved in the Supreme Court effort. “It just feels good.”
“Nominating a Black woman with the necessary compassion, sense of justice, and brilliant legal mind will bolster the integrity of the Supreme Court by bringing about a balance that ensures the court is more representative of all Americans,” the letter read.
Some Democrats argue that a robust defense of the nominee by Biden would help energize Democratic voters ahead of the midterms. “If he nominates this African American woman, as he said, and stands by her with all of the force of the White House and the D.C. establishment, then I think that will be motivating to voters,” said Finney. Democrats have already raised alarm over what they view as GOP efforts to smear the nominee before she is formally announced. Some Republicans have denounced Biden’s vow to nominate a Black woman as amounting to affirmative action.
“The tragedy here is that the person hasn’t even been announced, and Republicans are already attacking them based on race, gender and qualifications,” said Meagan Hatcher-Mays, director of democracy policy at the progressive group Indivisible. It’s not clear to what degree Republican criticisms of the nominee will mirror early complaints about Biden’s plans. Leaning too hard on gender- or race-based criticisms could end up backfiring on Republicans.
“There’s excitement and enthusiasm,” Finney said. “People are joyful. So, part of what we want to do is express our joy…This is such a powerful moment in history. If you voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, you made this happen. And that’s important. This is something very visible and tangible.”
Brazile also described a palpable excitement for Biden’s nominee among Black women and expressed hope it would be a unifying and celebratory moment for the country. “This is a moment that every child can now see themselves as someone who can lead,” Brazile said. “It’s an opening for a new story.” Do your part, vote in the March 1st election.
