How Black organizations quickly pivoted and mobilized for Kamala Harris

The news of Vice President Kamala Harris' run for the top of the Democratic ticket has energized the Black community, especially Black women, a critical Democratic voting bloc. "When Black women set out to do a job, they get it done — something the vice president is counting on in November," said The Root. 

President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the race and support of Harris as his preferred successor set off a wave of endorsements from high-profile Democrats and an outpouring of action (and fundraising) to boost Harris' campaign. And many Black organizations are sending out a beacon, calling for all hands on deck to back Harris for president.

Harris' 'secret weapon'

Among Harris' staunchest supporters are her sorority sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. In 1986, she became a member of the country's oldest Black sorority while a student at Howard University. Her sorors have galvanized around getting her elected before, leading The New York Times to call the organization her "secret weapon" in 2019. She recently delivered a keynote address at AKA's biennial convention on July 10, urging the room full of women to take on an active role in keeping Donald Trump out of office. She told the nearly 20,000 members in attendance that 2024 is the "most existential, consequential, and important election of our lifetime." 

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Leaders of AKA and the eight other organizations in the Divine 9, a coalition of historically Black fraternities and sororities under the National Pan-Hellenic Council, have already hit the ground running with a public endorsement of Harris for president. The Divine 9 Council of Presidents announced plans to "meet this critical moment in history with an unprecedented voter registration, education, and mobilization coordinated campaign." Their campaign will "activate the thousands of chapters and members in our respective organizations to ensure strong voter turnout in the communities we serve."

The Congressional Black Caucus also endorsed Harris as Biden's replacement following his decision to withdraw. Harris has been "instrumental in delivering the accomplishments of the last 3.5 years," and would "do an excellent job as President of the United States," the CBC political action committee (CBCPAC) said in a statement on behalf of caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and CBCPAC Chair Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.). The statement came weeks after Horsford doubled down on his support for Biden as Democrats called for him to drop out of the race.

Smashing fundraising records

Mobilization efforts for Harris have already started paying off for the vice president. An organization called Win With Black Women organized a Zoom call with more than 40,000 Black women shortly after Biden's announcement and raised over $1.5 million in three hours to support Harris. The call, which included several celebrities and politicians, was initially intended for 1,000 participants but ballooned to tens of thousands of supporters talking for hours. The Zoom meeting was "historic" and a "culmination of so many Black women for years and years and years that have been working, cultivating and creating for this moment," Win With Black Women founder Jotaka Eaddy said to The Washington Post. 

Journalist Roland Martin also hosted a Zoom meeting "aimed at energizing Black males to get them to the polls, open up their wallets, and get on the streets to campaign for Harris," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said. Over 21,000 men, including Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, gathered for the call. The group was able to raise $500,000 within the first hour. "Don't let anybody slow us down asking the question 'Can a Black woman be elected president of the United States,'" Warnock said. "Kamala Harris can win. We just have to show up. History is watching us, and the future is waiting on us."

The funds raised on the two calls were added to the record-breaking $81 million total raised for Harris' campaign in the 24 hours following Biden's announcement, representing the "largest 24-hour sum reported by either side in the 2024 campaign," said The Associated Press.