Black women are playing a pivotal role in the 2016 Democratic convention standing in the shoes of Fannie Lou Hamer, Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan who all, in their own right, made history during Democratic conventions elevating Black women’s voices and leadership.

From Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake who graveled in the 2016 Democratic National Convention and Rev. Leah Daughtry serving as the CEO of the convention to the recent announcements of Donna Brazile as the Interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge as the Permanent Chair to the 2016 Democratic National Convention Black women are leading.

Last night, 40 years almost to the day, Michelle Obama addressed the nation continuing the legacy of the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, the first Black women keynote speaker at a Democratic Convention.

It is clear that Black women are playing a visible and pivotal role in the 2016 convention as the Democrats are seeking to activate the 2008 and 2012 coalition that included a recorded number of Black women who voted for and mobilized their networks to elect President Obama.

As we sit at the intersection of a movement building opportunity we most ask, can we truly harness Black women’s political power and leadership potential from the voting booth to elected office? The answer is yes-- by building on Hamer, Chisholm and Jordan’s legacy. The 23 million Black women across this country must demand a return on their voting investment by advancing policies that impact Black women and their families and electing more Black women at all levels, including sending a Black woman to the U.S. Senate for the first time in over 20 years.

About Higher Heights

Higher Heights is the only national organization exclusively dedicated to harnessing, organizing and mobilizing Black women’s political power making sure they have the tools to effectively engage, advocate and lead. Higher Heights for America, a national 501(c)(4) organization, and its sister organization Higher Heights Leadership Fund, a 501(c)(3), is building the political power and leadership of Black women from the voting booth to elected office.