Today – one day before the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s death – Vice President Kamala Harris participated in a listening session on voting rights with Black women leaders. Several of these leaders worked closely to organize this week’s Black Women Leaders & Allies Voting Rights Call to Action.
During the meeting, the leaders shared with the Vice President their insights and recommendations on how to achieve voting rights reform, ways we can work together to pass federal legislation that protects all American voters, and what is at stake for our democracy. The Vice President thanked the leaders for their work, their commitment to protecting the fundamental right to vote, and their perspectives.
In her role leading the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts on voting rights, the Vice President is building a broad, national coalition and has engaged with Senators and House Members; spoken with national voting rights and civil rights leaders; traveled the country to meet with local activists and faith leaders to hear their perspectives and input; met multiple times with Texas lawmakers who recently broke quorum to block legislation that would make it significantly harder for the people of Texas to vote; and brought together diverse Americans to share their stories and provide input – including a meeting the Vice President held this week with Disabled voting rights activists who have experienced barriers to exercising their right to vote.
The leaders who participated in today’s meeting included:
- Barbara Anriwine, Founder, Transformative Justice Coalition (Virtual)
- Cora Masters Barry, Board Member, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Former First Lady of the District of Columbia
- Donna Brazile, Adjunct Professor, Author, Political Strategist, Voting Rights Advocate
- Clayola Brown, National President, A. Philip Randolph Institute
- Latosha Brown, Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter
- Helen Butler, Executive Director, Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda
- Melanie L. Campbell, President & CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation & Convener, Black Women’s Roundtable
- Glynda Carr, Founder & President, Higher Heights for America (Virtual)
- Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, President & Chair of the Board, National Council of Negro Women(Virtual)
- Bishop Leah Daughtry, Founder & Co-Convenor, Power Rising
- Felicia Davis, Director, HBCU Green Fund/Clayton County Black Women’s Roundtable(Virtual)
- Jotaka Eaddy, Chief Organizer, Win With Black Women Collective
- Karen Finney, Communications Advisor, NCBCP, Black Women’s Roundtable
- Bernice King, CEO, The King Center (Virtual)
- Tamika Mallory, Co-Founder, Until Freedom(Virtual)
- Janice Mathis, Esq., Executive Director, National Council of Negro Women
- Minyon Moore, Co-Convenor, Power Rising(Virtual)
- Deborah Scott, Executive Director, Georgia Stand UP
- Ariel Singleton, State Coordinator, Georgia Black Youth Vote/GA Stand-UP (Virtual)
- Joycelyn Tate, Senior Policy Advisor, Black Women’s Roundtable (Virtual)
- Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Chair, National African American Clergy Network
- Victoria Kirby York, Deputy Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition (Virtual)
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