Press Releases
Apr 16, 2008
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“Power Of The Sister Vote In 2008” Leaders Query Presidential Candidate Advisors On Issues Affecting Black Community And Women
Washington, DC -- April 19, 2006 -- Three leading civil rights organizations joined together to launch “The Power of the Sister Vote 2008,” a nationwide effort framing the dialogue on the impact of the Black women’s vote in the 2008 elections. Co-conveners, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), headed by Melanie L. Campbell, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) chaired by veteran women’s and civil rights leader Dr. Dorothy I. Height, and Clayola Brown, President of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) extended invitations to all presidential candidates to address issues affecting Black American communities.
“Black women represent over 56 percent of the registered Black electorate. In the 2004 presidential election, Black women represented 58 percent of the total Black vote. Our voices weigh heavily in our family’s civic engagement decisions,” said Melanie Campbell, Executive Director and CEO, NCBCP, and co-convener of the landmark meeting held at NCNW headquarters in Washington, DC. Attending the three-hour meeting were senior policy advisors from the Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Kucinich, McCain, and Obama campaigns. “We told the attending presidential campaigns that the women’s group will actively monitor the policy statements and promises made by each presidential contender. Our goal is to educate and to inform. An element of our strategy includes the release of a report delineating each candidate’s position on issues having an impact upon Black women’s lives,” Campbell added.
Dr. Yvonne Scruggs Leftwich, noted scholar, author, leading authority on urban domestic policy, and professor at the National Labor College, moderated the spirited and substantive discussion that covered, among other topics, economic disparity, full funding for health care, support for Affirmative Action, and ensuring ongoing senior level engagement to each campaign. Other subject areas discussed included immigration policy, access to quality education, and the expected impact of the Black women’s vote during the 2008 elections. Campaign policy advisors articulated their candidate’s current policy position on the issues raised and agreed to respond to the convener’s request for more detailed information.
While invitations to attend the dialogue were extended to both major political parties, only the Democratic National Committee (DNC) elected to send representation. Questions were raised in the invitation to each committee about convention planning. The Republican National Committee (RNC) respectfully declined, citing that it too early in their planning process to provide concrete information about their convention slated for Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. The Democrats are scheduled to convene in Denver, CO.
Over 30 national and state-based Black women leaders and opinion makers attending the session were briefed on the 2008 Republican and Democratic National Committee process for how to become a delegate and where each committee was in its planning.
Further, BWR briefing participants were informed about the Commission on Presidential Debate’s history, process and how The Power of the Sister Vote 2008 groups may be able to assist the Commission in voter education efforts. The NCBCP has already been invited to be among a select group of Voter Education Partners charged with assisting in the Commission’s outreach to African American and immigrant communities.
The Sister Vote 2008 meeting represents just the first in a series to ensure that the issues of women and youth remain on the front burner during the 2008 election cycle.
