Can the White House be won back in November? There are admittedly obstacles to face in the next 88 days, but one thing’s for certain: We definitely can’t win if we don’t vote. Today is the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and as voter suppression via any number of dirty tricks threatens to derail our upcoming electoral process, the Phenomenal campaign wants to ensure apathy isn’t one of them.
The nonprofit founded and led by attorney, author, and activist Meena Harris (niece of possible VP pick Kamala, and an adviser on her aunt’s presidential campaign) teamed up with its longtime nonprofit partner, Black female-focused political collective Higher Heights to run a full-page ad in today’s New York Times. Featuring Gen Z Changemaker Winter BreeAnne in one of the campaign’s viral tees flanked by affirmations by writers Cleo Wade and Stevona Elem-Rogers, the ad highlights the phenomenal power of Black women in not only fighting for the right to vote but continuing to protect it by engaging in the political process from every angle.
We recognize this month as the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. But while the 19th Amendment ostensibly applied to all women, in practice Black women were still prevented from voting.
It was not until the passage of the Voting Rights Act — almost a half-century later — that Black women were fully enfranchised, the culmination of a centuries-long battle for Black voting rights.
That fight continues today, as our nation faces an unprecedented assault on voting rights, from mass voter suppression and felony disenfranchisement. Despite these significant barriers to the ballot box, Black women remain one of the most reliable and powerful voting blocs in the country.
Black women will not be suppressed. We will not be silenced. We will not be deterred. We will not be defeated. We’re gonna win. Black women are gonna win.
Those familiar with Phenomenal may also remember its other incredible campaigns, including 2018's #1600Men ad in support of Christine Blasey Ford, and its affirming array of T-shirts and social media campaigns, including “Phenomenally Black,” “Phenomenally Trans” and “Phenomenally Indigenous. To get involved, you can visit Phenomenal or Higher Heights—but most importantly, please vote.
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