On Tuesday, the people of Alabama caused an upset when they elected Doug Jones their Senator. He beat former front-runner Roy Moore who had been accused of sexual assault by 19 women. Judge Moore even claimed that American was better off when women couldn’t vote and black people were slaves. With these results, we breathe a sigh of relief that racist, sexist, serial harassers are finally facing consequences, regardless of industry. We must particularly applaud black women who showed up to vote in record numbers for Jones. The exit polls show 98 percent of black women voted for Jones compared to only 32 percent of white women.
It’s time for us to challenge white conservative women to stand up to those in power and advocate for equal rights for all. Black women and women of color have been blazing this trail alone for too long. As Gloria Steinem said, “the problem I have with the idea that the women’s movement or the feminist movement is somehow a white thing is that it renders invisible the people who have always been there.” This week, I’m asking you to reach across the aisle and have a conversation about how equality can benefit all of us, particularly lifting up the most marginalized.
Onwards,
Jennifer Siebel Newsom & The Representation Project Team
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