The Dear Culture podcast is back to our regular programming with our lovely hosts, theGrio Managing Editor Gerren Keith Gaynor and Social Media Director Shana Pinnock. With the 2020 election voter turnout and results changing the course of history, our hosts sit back, relax and ask the pertinent question: “Dear Culture, now that we have a new president and a Black vice president in office, what’s next?”
After the historic win for the Biden-Harris administration, Pinnock notes that many are “truly celebrating the fact that Black women are the reason why Biden…and Harris won” the election. Some folks, however, find the win of Black women a loss for Black men. Politician Barrington Martin II tweeted after Harris’ win that he thinks “the media is describing Black women [as] the end all, be all of Black progression” and that folks should “imagine what that does to little Black boys” and their perception of themselves in the world.
Statements like that are “why Black men get dragged,” says Pinnock. Instead of creating gender rifts in the Black community, take the moment to understand that “Black women [deserve] their shine,” as well as their flowers. Statistics show that Black women are some of the most highly engaged voters in the country. Lest we forget, “we had a Black man as president for eight years” and that didn’t hinder the perception of Black children, the hosts argue.
In 2008, Black women accounted for 60% of all Black voters, with 96% of votes going to Barack Obama. In 2012, the percentage increased to 98%. So to the folks who think a win for Black women is a loss for Black men, Pinnock says to enjoy the win, because it is a win.
“Boys can still be inspired by Black women. We need to get out of the gender politics of it all,” says Gaynor.
Infighting in the Black community over gender is not progress. Gaynor boasts that he is proud about what Black people did this election year. From Keisha Lance Bottoms to Stacey Abrams, it was inspiring to see Black voters “galvanized” to make a change for our collective uplift. This election gave a lot of “clarity” because when “we come out, we make a difference,” the hosts say. We need to constantly stay vigilant, from the run-offs in January to the next election year.
“This is a great opportunity for us to flip the script and prioritize Black voters,” says Gaynor.
As this is a turning point for our democracy, our hosts want to take time to give appreciation to the Black populations of Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta for doing what needed to be done. Now that as a nation, we “elected a Black woman to the second-highest office in the land,” the Dear Culture podcast wonders if this is “finally the push from the Democratic Party to prioritize issues specifically” for Black folks?
Since Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is now headed to the West Wing, prioritizing the needs of Black women will hopefully be on the presidential agenda. Though there is a lot of hope in the air right now, Gaynor wants all the support Black folks have been giving to the Democratic Party to “be shown back to us” by way of policy.
“It really comes down to will Biden pass legislation that really impacts the community? [Biden] knows Black women are going to hold him accountable and Kamala Harris knows Black women will hold her accountable,” remarks Gaynor.
A tribe of disappointed Black people, specifically women, is “not the kind of vibe” this new presidential administration wants, the hosts argue.
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