Vote Like a Black Woman

Showing up gets us a seat at the table, so we don't have the luxury of sitting out elections when our ideal candidate doesn’t get the nomination.

There’s a general fatigue surrounding the phrase “vote blue no matter who,” and for good reason. It’s a reductive and incomplete adage. We cannot demand (or take for granted) the cooperation of a strong Democratic base, organized and engaged under the principles of a consistent and well-understood party platform without doing the actual work of fostering and maintaining relationships within that base.

It’s not enough to tell young, disillusioned progressives or center-left swing voters that they should vote for us because we aren’t Republicans. We have to run “yes and” campaigns in which we explain the harm being caused by Republican policy and we talk about what we will do differently. We have to make the case for why we are different. These two parties are not the same, and it’s our job to tell voters why.

(SeventyFour/iStock)

That said, one group does not need to be reminded to vote blue regardless of the outcome of the primary: Black women.

I endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, as did several other Black advocates and political leaders. We put our collective political weight behind her, as we have for so many candidates we believed would represent our interests and collaborate with us, continuing the Black community’s decades-long relationship with the Democratic Party.

For the first time in a long time, I was able to enjoy watching a close race as results trickled in Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Both candidates have Michiganders’ best interests in mind. Fundamentally, though they have different perspectives and campaign strategies and appeal to different parts of the electorate. They both agree on the primary principles of the Democratic Party: fairness and equality, social justice and civil rights, the right to healthcare and good education, and the ability to raise a family free from harm or intimidation no matter whom you love or where you were born. They both have a vested interest in listening to and collaborating with the Black voters who make up such a significant portion of the Democratic base. Neither Haley nor Abdul El-Sayed is the “lesser evil” compared with a Republican.

This understanding allows me, just like many other Black women, to vote for the Democratic candidate consistently. Our consistency is an asset to the party and affords us a collective seat at the table, ensuring that candidates acknowledge our contributions to their success (or failure) and consider us in their platforms and governance.

I’m going to vote for El-Sayed in the general election without hesitation.

Despite the media’s desire to make this about the party being taken over by the progressive wing (or the Democratic Socialists of America), the party “establishment” is still strong. Progressives and their platforms cannot be underestimated or overlooked, just as the centrist core of the party is formidable and cannot be dismissed. It’s only through collaboration that we wield the collective power to protect one another from the destruction of MAGA and build a future we can all be proud of. The factions of the party, working together, win seats cycle after cycle. And we will in November. Together.

Anybody whose primary became particularly contentious, as the one in Michigan did, defined by a media cycle focused on the candidates’ opinions on foreign wars and the sources of their campaign funding, and who is feeling particularly disillusioned by the outcome of a primary and less than enthusiastic about participating in the general election should vote like a Black woman: Form a coalition with like-minded voters. Don’t wait to be considered. Vote consistently. Show up every time. Pull up a chair and take a seat at the table.

I understand the instinct to withhold your vote in protest, but the party is structured around people who show up. The establishment wins more than it loses — because of resources, because of processes that are built to advantage those in the know, because there are more centrist folks who participate in the process, mainly by voting. If that frustrates you, it’s time to participate. It’s time to be in the know.

Black women, historically, haven’t had the luxury of sitting out elections when our ideal candidate doesn’t get the nomination. We have had to step back and consider the bigger picture in each election. This requires engagement beyond election day. This requires year-round political advocacy, staying informed and participatory in all aspects of life. This requires communicating with elected officials and organizing others to do the same. This requires showing up for community members and filling through collective action the needs the government cannot meet. This requires incremental change through electoral politics and embodied praxis.

And, ultimately, Black women understand that the ultimate form of accountability is the election itself: If someone doesn’t deliver, vote him out.

Of course, Black women aren’t completely infallible. Our strength is in our consistency and organization, but we aren’t immune to the issues that trip up other voters.

Black women, like most voters, can be turned off by candidates who appear not to understand them or the issues that impact their day-to-day lives. We all struggle to connect with candidates who try to tell us something different from what we see with our own eyes, like being told the economy is strong while experiencing higher-than-ever cost of living. This is why the “kitchen table” or “pocketbook” issues are the most likely to be understood by all voters. Voters want to know what a candidate is going to do for them.

My advice to any candidate who has just won a primary and is looking to gain the support of Black women — or any other group of voters: Ask for their support. Don’t assume that voters will vote blue no matter who. Address the issues that the losing candidate championed. Don’t change your position but acknowledge that the issue matters and make clear that you hear the voices of the voters on the other side. Remember the principle of the “yes and” campaign. Of course, draw attention to the potential harm if the Republican candidate were to be elected, but don’t forget to help your future constituents envision how their life will be better when you’re representing them. Hope, clarity, and common-sense leadership are powerful things.

Lavora Barnes is the former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party.

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