Black women legislators are rare in statehouses. This could be the solution.
Opportunity PAC was born. Its goal, amid this time of social and political upheaval in America, is to elect several Black women to the Washington State Legislature. It is highlighting eight: Seven who are seeking seats to the state House of Representatives (two are incumbents) and one who is running for the state Senate. The group has also contributed money to several other Black women running for different statehouse races and judgeships.
Das, an Indian woman, still remembers the challenges of fundraising as a candidate in 2018 when she won her Senate seat (she briefly ran for a congressional seat earlier that year but she dropped out over fundraising concerns in the crowded race).
“Women of color in general are taught not to ask for money, not to raise money, not to be comfortable around money,” she said. “And so I just turned my trauma of running for office into a fundraising machine for these other women.”
In just a few months, the political action committee has raised nearly $200,000 — with more pledges on the way — to help the candidates, all Democrats who advanced out of their August 4 primary, according to Conrad, one of the co-founders of Opportunity PAC. The group is also organizing a virtual concert in mid-October to raise more funds.
“Having these women in the state legislature will change the types of policies that get put forward. It’ll change the kind of people that will be represented, and what decisions are being made,” she said.
https://19thnews.org/2020/09/black-women-legislators-are-rare-in-statehouses-this-could-be-the-solution/?amp&__twitter_impression=true