In the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, at times it has felt as though all Democrats could talk about was which demographic groups had drifted away from the Democratic Party and why. What’s generally lost in that conversation is the fact that Black women rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris. The Democratic nominee earned an overwhelming majority of their votes, including in swing states like Georgia, Nevada and Michigan, even as other groups shifted significantly to the right compared with 2020.
This is not just a matter of loyalty. It’s the result of tireless, unglamorous labor by the Black political organizers and community activists who have helped keep the Democratic Party alive in recent election cycles. And yet, as the party scrambles to course-correct after its loss, it is missing the bigger picture. Black women like me are critical to the party’s survival and its future. To build a stronger agenda, Democrats need to prioritize us.
Historically, Black women have higher labor force participation rates than other women, yet systemic barriers have kept us from reaching our full potential. In 2023 alone, Black women lost nearly $43 billion in potential earnings compared with white men, because they are often segregated into lower-paying jobs. This persistent devaluation of Black women’s experiences and contributions undermines our collective potential for shared prosperity.
Janelle Jones, the first Black woman to serve as chief economist at the Labor Department, advanced the idea that when Black women thrive, the entire economy does, too. In 2020, Ms. Jones released a visionary fiscal and economic road map, “Black Women Best,” as a way to center equity in the conversation around policy. The plan could offer the party a clear way forward.
The Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls has already translated Ms. Jones’s road map into a comprehensive legislative agenda. Its proposals include raising the federal minimum wage to at least $15 an hour, expanding the right to overtime and protecting collective bargaining. It advocates baby bonds, in which children receive a publicly funded trust account at birth to help close the racial wealth gap, guaranteed income programs, job subsidies and extending Medicaid postpartum coverage.
Investments in community organizations as well as health navigators — people who could help patients, caregivers and health care providers get through the health care system productively and efficiently — can be critical tools in the fight against systemic inequities. The beauty of these policies is that they can also address the economic issues that inform voter behavior among Latinos, Black men and working-class white Americans.
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