- Let's face it. This past year has been a dumpster fire.
(pensive music)
One of the only highlights was seeing Kamala Harris
inaugurated as our new vice president.
Unfortunately, that left us with one, small problem.
- There are no Black women in the United States Senate
now that Kamala Harris has ascended to the vice presidency.
- No Black women in the Senate?
But this is the year Black women were praised
for saving America's ass.
By the way, you're welcome.
The truth is, in the Senate's 230-year history,
we've only ever had two Black female senators,
Kamala Harris and Carol Moseley Braun.
You know it's bad when Black women
have better representation on "The Bachelor"
than they do in the US Senate.
I wanted to find out what's going on.
So I called Stefanie Brown James,
co-founder of the Collective PAC,
a nationwide organization working
to elect Black candidates to office.
So Black women seemed to be doing great
in the House of Representatives, right?
- Right, right, right.
- But we're having an issue with the Senate?
- Huge.
Black women vote more than anybody else
in this country.
So many of the issues we're voting on impact our families.
The Senate has been talking about maternal mortality.
Maternal mortality impacts Black women
more than anybody else.
So to not have a Black woman saying how this bill
should be created and that it should be passed,
that's a problem.
- It is a problem.
Just look at these photos from a recent bi-partisan dinner,
featuring all the current female senators.
They are definitely in need of the melanin
because this looks more like an episode
of "Designing Women" than it does a Senate dinner.
To try to get more Black women into the Senate,
what, like how are y'all,
are y'all out teaching people how to shake hands
and kiss babies?
Like what are y'all doing? (laughing)
- Well, I can definitely say in this current reality,
we ain't kissing no babies.
- Facts.
- We are making sure that with our partner,
Three Point Strategies, we have a Black Campaign School.
And so we are training candidates across the country
to know the nuts and bolts of running statewide.
- At the Black Campaign School,
perspective candidates can learn things
like how to raise money, how to engage with voters,
and, oh, this actually looks fun.
(upbeat music)
Throw in a set from DJ D-Nice,
and this could be the Essence Festival.
- We have a whole session about how to wear your hair
when you are a Black woman running for office.
And the answer is girl, wear it however you want to.
- You know, you don't have to come out here
looking like Kerry Washington in "Scandal" every day
to get elected because ooh, them wigs.
Ooh, them wigs. God.
What do you think is the reason
that there have been so few Black women in the Senate?
- Listen, as a woman, the sexism issue is key.
Most of our US senators are male.
Number two, racism.
It does exist in America. Okay?
And so, you know, you have the fact that this woman
has to go across the state,
talk to so many different voters,
some of whom have never actually had a conversation
with a Black person.
And so that alone is showing you
that there's a lot of hurdles that she has to overcome.
- I get it.
If you want to connect with voters who were unfamiliar
with you, sometimes you gotta do what they do,
or in other words, pander.
So I had a few ideas on what Black female candidates
could do to get elected statewide.
You know, that you need to do more stuff
that white people do,
like, you know, John Mayer concerts,
- Love John Mayer.
- Right, like a John Mayer concert or a Phish concert,
letting the dog lick them on the face.
Something wild like that.
- No.
- You know what? You're right.
Let's see, leaking footage of them not washing their legs
in the shower.
- I don't even know what that means. (laughing)
- Or saying that they don't.
You haven't heard this thing that these white folks
don't wash their legs?
- No.
- Girl, was all about Black Twitter.
And I've talked to 'em.
I've taken polls at work.
They don't.
Is she doing campaign ads
saying "I stopped washing my legs in the shower
and I keep mayonnaise in my purse."
- You know what, Dulce?
Unless that is your natural thing,
what we can tell these Black candidates
and Black women especially is you don't have to,
and you shouldn't do anything to pander for votes.
It really is about the issues.
If you are yourself, you can talk about the ideas you have
to make their lives better,
that's what we should be paying attention to when it comes
to what these Black candidates are talking about,
and seeing that, yeah, they actually have really great ideas
and we don't need them to pander for votes.
- I like mayonnaise. I don't understand what the problem is.
- I like mayonnaise too.
Mayonnaise and John Mayer, mmm, mmm.
- Mmm, mmm, mmm!
Like how you making a chicken salad, tuna salad,
macaroni, all of the salads that don't have lettuce in it?
- Those are my favorite salads.
- Yeah!
(bright music)
If we want a Senate
that is truly representative of the electorate,
we need more Black women in office.
Fortunately, we have some options in 2022.
Val Demings is running for Senate in Florida,
and both Cheri Beasley and Erica Smith
are running in North Carolina.
So there's hope!
Now, if you'll, excuse me,
I'm off to listen to John Mayer
and eat everything with mayonnaise.