Women of Color for Biden is a campaign that endorsed Joe Biden for president during the 2020 general election. It also advocates for women and ethnic minorities to be politically active so that they can utilize the identity politics of intersectionality to influence political processes in their favor.
Background
Founded in 2015, Women of Color for Biden is a campaign that endorsed Joe Biden as the Democratic party nominee during the 2020 general election. Prior to Joe Biden’s nomination, it was named Women of Color for Hillary and endorsed Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party nominee during the 2016 general election. 1 2
One November third, 2020, the day of the general election, Women of Color for Biden described itself as an organization that uses the identity politics concept of intersectionality to campaign for Joe Biden. It argues that there are policy and other barriers in place that prevent women and ethnic minorities from voting, justifying the need for organizations such as itself that use intersectionality as an ideological basis. 3
Activities
Women of Color for Biden hosted a book club, named “Women of Color for Biden/Harris Coalition Social Justice Book Club.” The book club hosted a meeting titled, “When Native Americans Vote Democrats Win: Get to Know Tribal Nations” in September 2020 and asked prospective attendees to review a list of readings that claim Native Americans are experiencing voter suppression due to racist policies. 4
Policies
Women of Color for Biden’s website campaigns specifically in support of Biden’s Build Back Better Plan. It advocates for Biden’s plan to increase spending on public health workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to expand unemployment insurance, and to establish a “comeback package” for small and large businesses. It also advocates in support of the Build Back Better Plan’s intention of prioritizing the hiring of ethnic minorities on environmentalist projects. Additionally, Women of Color for Biden campaigns on Biden’s platform that claims it will enact policy and support legislation that would increase minimum wage, mandate private business to provide specific paid time off benefits to its employees, and require businesses to determine an employee’s wage based on their gender. 5
Leadership
Reta Jo Lewis is the founder and national chair for Women of Color for Biden. 6 After the Biden administration took office, she was appointed chair of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Previously, Lewis served as special assistant for political affairs in the Executive Office of the President during the Clinton administration, as vice president and counselor to the president for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, special representative for global intergovernmental affairs for the Department of State during the Obama administration, and as senior fellow and director of Congressional affairs for the left-leaning think tank German Marshall Fund of the United States. 7
Linda Lopez is the co-director of policy for Women of Color for Biden, owns a consulting firm named Impact Strategies Inc, and is chief strategist for EarthHQ, an environmentalist media company. 8 9 She previously worked as California policy director for Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaign, chief for the Office of Immigrant Affairs for the Los Angeles mayor’s office, and director of education for the American Political Science Association. 10
Myra Dandridge is the co-director of media for Women of Color for Biden. 11 Dandridge was previously the Florida press secretary for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and communications director for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. 12
References
- “Jackie Weatherspoon.” Facebook. Accessed November 1, 2016. https://www.facebook.com/jackie.weatherspoon.54/posts/pfbid0iDt2zgiAJS4t3cVWgjYT5e4UW2y8sdjgKLEH2qY9NxXZEXfmZComgV2KAcu5J4KPl.
- “Women of Color for Biden.” Facebook. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/WoCForBiden/about_details.
- “Women of Color for Biden.” Facebook. Accessed November 3, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/WoCForBiden/posts/pfbid02vqUiNNRKrgwdLDEUtwgShMjyytoraxYYqpLdyyKqnzM1rA6drYtFv2n4p6rz452Tl
- “Women of Color for Biden/Harris Coalition’s Social Justice Book Club · Organize NH.” Mobilize. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.mobilize.us/organizenh/event/317013/.
- “Build Back Better Plan.” WOC For Biden. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.womenofcolorforbiden.com/buildbackbetterplan.
- “Our Team.” WOC For Biden. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.womenofcolorforbiden.com/ourteam.
- “Reta Jo Lewis Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/retajolewis.
- “Our Team.” WOC For Biden. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.womenofcolorforbiden.com/ourteam.
- “Dr. Linda Lopez Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-linda-lopez-574269a.
- “Dr. Linda Lopez Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-linda-lopez-574269a.
- “Our Team.” WOC For Biden. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.womenofcolorforbiden.com/ourteam.
- Dandridge, Myra. “Myra Dandridge.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/myra-dandridge-5171255/.