"Black Female Political Empowerment: A Plan For Self-Help"
by
Linda Faye Williams

Throughout the history of the United States, Black American women have played a critical role in expanding democratic rights for all Americans and advancing the political empowerment of Black Americans. Although the strategies used by Black women have differed throughout history, the goal has been steadfastly the same: advancing the interests of all those who are poor and disadvantaged, Black women, their children and their male counterparts. Today, more than 20% of all Black elected officials are women, and the rate of growth of Black female-elected officials has been higher than that of their male counterparts since 1976. The central question in the late 1980s is how to build on the impressive record of Black female achievement in the political sphere in the face of current challenges. The Black woman has historically participated in the political sphere and made progress in it. The best available evidence on political progress is in the electoral sphere. Since 1976, the registration and turnout rates of Black women have been higher than those of Black men. Yet Black women are still underrepresented in electoral offices. Only 1.3 percent of the total elected officials in the United States are Black; only 0.3 percent of the total elected officials are Black women, although they constitute almost 7% of the total voting-age population. Despite some significant progress, Black women remain disproportionately underrepresented in America's political system. The key question is how to build on the progress already made in order to reach fuller representation. Black women need a clear focus on the policies and positions worth attaining, the jurisdictions in which electoral success is more likely and the kinds of interventionist strategies that might motivate Black women to work actively for achieving these policies and positions.