The recent defacement of Maryland U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Angela Alsobrooks’ campaign sign with hateful and threatening messages highlights the persistent racism and abuse that women—especially Black women—endure when seeking to run, win, serve and lead in our politics. Such acts, including the brandishing of “KKK” by vandals and a target drawn on her forehead, assault both individual dignity and democratic principles.
Author: Marvelous Maeze
Marvelous Maeze is a research associate at RepresentWomen. She authored the research brief, "Breaking Barriers for Black Women Candidates." She graduated from Columbia University with a master of arts in human rights studies and New York University’s College of Arts and Science, where she earned a bachelor of arts in political science.
Reclaiming My Time: Why We Need to Address The Systemic Barriers Faced By Black Women In Politics
As a Black woman, witnessing other Black women in elected roles is not only significant, but powerful. Signifying transformative progress, it goes beyond mere resemblance; it’s a recognition of our challenges, our resilience and our capacity to drive successful outcomes in this nation.