Women of Color Political Elites in the U.S.


Book Description

This volume presents a detailed and in-depth examination of women of color political elites in the United States in varying levels of office and non-elected positions. Through innovative data, novel theoretical frameworks, and compelling arguments, the chapters in this book explore how women of color political elites are changing, challenging, or upending the status quo in American politics. Beyond an additive approach of either race or gender the authors in this volume employ an intersectional lens to explore the complexities of governing, running for office, and adjudicating in a diversifying America. This book will be of great value to upper-level students, researchers, and academics of political science interested in women’s and gender studies, political leadership as well as race and ethnic studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy.




Sister Style


Book Description

Afro-textured hair and the CROWN Act -- What black women political elites look like matters -- Candid conversations, black women political elites, & appearances -- Sisterly discussions on black women candidates -- Is there a black woman candidate prototype? -- Voter responses to black women candidates -- Linked fate, black voters, and black women candidates -- Conclusion.




Women of Color Political Elites in the U.S.


Book Description

This volume presents a detailed and in-depth examination of women of color political elites in the United States in varying levels of office and non-elected positions. Through innovative data, novel theoretical frameworks, and compelling arguments, the chapters in this book explore how women of color political elites are changing, challenging, or upending the status quo in American politics. Beyond an additive approach of either race or gender the authors in this volume employ an intersectional lens to explore the complexities of governing, running for office, andadjudicating in a diversifying America. This book will be of great value to upper-level students, researchers, and academics of political science interested in women's and gender studies, political leadership as well as race and ethnic studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy.




Elite Capture


Book Description

“Identity politics” is everywhere, polarizing discourse from the campaign trail to the classroom and amplifying antagonisms in the media, both online and off. But the compulsively referenced phrase bears little resemblance to the concept as first introduced by the radical Black feminist Combahee River Collective. While the Collective articulated a political viewpoint grounded in their own position as Black lesbians with the explicit aim of building solidarity across lines of difference, identity politics is now frequently weaponized as a means of closing ranks around ever-narrower conceptions of group interests. But the trouble, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò deftly argues, is not with identity politics itself. Through a substantive engagement with the global Black radical tradition and a critical understanding of racial capitalism, Táíwò identifies the process by which a radical concept can be stripped of its political substance and liberatory potential by becoming the victim of elite capture—deployed by political, social, and economic elites in the service of their own interests. Táíwò’s crucial intervention both elucidates this complex process and helps us move beyond a binary of “class” vs. “race.” By rejecting elitist identity politics in favor of a constructive politics of radical solidarity, he advances the possibility of organizing across our differences in the urgent struggle for a better world.




For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics


Book Description

“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics. It’s a wonderful, necessary book.” – Hillary Clinton The four most powerful African American women in politics share the story of their friendship and how it has changed politics in America. The lives of black women in American politics are remarkably absent from the shelves of bookstores and libraries. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics is a sweeping view of American history from the vantage points of four women who have lived and worked behind the scenes in politics for over thirty years—Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore—a group of women who call themselves The Colored Girls. Like many people who have spent their careers in public service, they view their lives in four-year waves where presidential campaigns and elections have been common threads. For most of the Colored Girls, their story starts with Jesse Jackson’s first campaign for president. From there, they went on to work on the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Over the years, they’ve filled many roles: in the corporate world, on campaigns, in unions, in churches, in their own businesses and in the White House. Through all of this, they’ve worked with those who have shaped our country’s history—US Presidents such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, well-known political figures such as Terry McAuliffe and Howard Dean, and legendary activists and historical figures such as Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, and Betty Shabazz. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics is filled with personal stories that bring to life heroic figures we all know and introduce us to some of those who’ve worked behind the scenes but are still hidden. Whatever their perch, the Colored Girls are always focused on the larger goal of “hurrying history” so that every American — regardless of race, gender or religious background — can have a seat at the table. This is their story.




Distinct Identities


Book Description

Minority women in the United States draw from their unique personal experiences, born of their identities, to impact American politics. Whether as political elites or as average citizens, minority women demonstrate that they have a unique voice that more often than not centers on their visions of justice, equality, and fairness. In this volume, Dr. Nadia E. Brown and Sarah Allen Gershon seek to present studies of minority women that highlight how they are similar and dissimilar to other groups of women or minorities, as well as variations within groups of minority women. Current demographic and political trends suggest that minority populations-specifically minority women-will be at the forefront of shaping U.S. politics. Yet, scholars still have very little understanding of how these populations will behave politically. This book provides a detailed view of how minority women will utilize their sheer numbers, collective voting behavior, policy preferences, and roles as elected officials to impact American politics. The scholarship on intersectionality in this volume seeks to push beyond disciplinary constraints to think more holistically about the politics of identity.




Contested Transformation


Book Description

This book provides the first in-depth look at male and female elected officials of color using survey and other empirical data.




Women Take Their Place in State Legislatures


Book Description

How do women strategically make their mark on state legislatures? Anna Mitchell Mahoney’s book traces the development of women’s state legislative caucuses and the influence both gender and party have on women’s ability to organize collectively. She provides a comprehensive analysis of how and why women organize around their gender identity in state legislatures—or why they do not. Women Take Their Place in State Legislatures includes a quantitative analysis of institutional-level variables and caucus existence in all 50 states. Case studies of caucus attempts in New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Iowa between 2006 and 2010 examine attempts at creating women’s caucuses that succeeded or failed, and why. Mahoney’s interviews with 180 state legislators and their staff explore the motivations of caucus creators and participants. Ultimately, she finds that women’s organizing is contextual; it demonstrates the dynamic nature of gender. Mahoney also provides insights into broad questions regarding gendered institutions, collective action, and political party governance. Women Take Their Place in State Legislatures fills a lacuna in the evaluation of women in government.




Women Presidents of Latin America


Book Description

Women are gaining ground as presidents of Latin America. Women leaders in presidential systems (particularly women directly elected by the public) were generally limited to daughters and wives of male executives or opposition leaders. With the election of Michelle Bachelet in Chile, these traditional patterns appeared to be shifting. This book asks: what conditions allowed for a broadening of routes, beyond family ties, for women in Latin America? Do women presidents of Latin America use their powers to enhance women’s representation? While providing valuable insight into the big picture of women in presidential politics throughout Latin America over the last several decades, this book more closely analyzes four women presidents gaining office since 2006: Michelle Bachelet (Chile) Cristina Fernández (Argentina) Laura Chinchilla (Costa Rica) and Dilma Rousseff (Brazil). It assesses the paths and impacts of Latin American women presidents and scrutinizes the ways gender shapes both aspects. No other scholar has offered such an in-depth analysis of the paths and actions of women presidents of Latin America. As such, this book offers important contributions to the gender in politics literature. Its multi-methodological approach consisting of original data collection from field work and in person interviews of political elites and experts combined with an analysis of a host of secondary sources including media articles and public opinion data makes this work exceptionally comprehensive. Its findings are applicable to those studying women, gender, and politics as well as comparative politics, Latin American politics, and leadership studies.




Sisters in the Statehouse


Book Description

Theories of descriptive representation among female legislators consistently document the ways in which women are marginalized in office. However, they tend to treat identity as constant over time and context and so fail to account for the substantive work of legislators. Sisters in the Statehouse looks at the situation from a different angle, taking an in-depth look at African American female state legislators to examine the impact of race and gender on Black women's political experiences, policy preferences, and legislative influence. Brown links personal narratives to the political behavior of her interview subjects to understand how their experiences with racism and sexism have influenced their legislative decision-making and policy preferences. As such, this is the first study that empirically examines how difference is recognized and put into practice among Black women legislators. Brown demonstrates that identity influences political decision making in ways that distinguish the work of Black women from that of other state legislators. Sisters in the Statehouse is a groundbreaking inquiry into how an intersectional approach can enhance our understanding of political representation.