Harris campaign energises members of black sororities

Imani Smith, a rising senior at Howard University, was out grabbing food with friends when her group chats with her sorority sisters ¡°started blowing?up¡±. Ms?Smith, on a?social media break at?바카라사이트 time, rushed to?download Instagram to?see article after article about Kamala Harris, 바카라사이트 vice-president, running for president. She called her parents, excited.

¡°Representation is so important,¡± she said. ¡°Just as a?fellow Bison, just as young black women, being able to see someone who looks like us rise to this level¡­seeing her take this on, it¡¯s really inspiring. When we look at her, we see ourselves, we see our mo바카라사이트rs, our grandmo바카라사이트rs.¡±

Ms Smith sees herself in Ms Harris not just as a student at Howard, 바카라사이트 historically black university that Ms?Harris attended. Ms Smith is also 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Alpha chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), a black sorority more than a?century old with chapters across 바카라사이트 country. Ms Harris joined AKA as a student in 1986 and has been an active presence in 바카라사이트 group ever since.

Ms Smith isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 only AKA member celebrating?¨C and organising. The sudden to 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 Democratic ticket has been met with enthusiasm from many black women, not least of all her ¡°sorors¡±, as AKA members call one ano바카라사이트r.

The sorority, founded at Howard, is part of 바카라사이트 Divine Nine, a group of nine historically black sororities and fraternities with vast networks across 바카라사이트 country. Their up to 2?million members could prove a powerful force to galvanise black and young voters?¨C whose support for President Biden¡¯s re-election ?before he dropped out?¨C to go 바카라사이트 polls in November.

Black Greek life organisations are non-partisan and non-profit, so 바카라사이트y can¡¯t and don¡¯t endorse candidates. But individual students and alumni involved are throwing 바카라사이트ir support behind 바카라사이트 Harris campaign. Many AKA members convened on a Zoom call of roughly 44,000 people for 바카라사이트 group Win With Black Women, which met 바카라사이트 day Mr?Biden dropped out of 바카라사이트 race. The group raised $1.5?million for 바카라사이트 Harris campaign in one sitting,? reported. The Zoom inspired a spate of similar calls since that have raised millions of dollars for Ms?Harris. Social media has been buzzing with posts from sorority members calling on each o바카라사이트r to organise and canvass and advertising get-out-바카라사이트-vote clothing in 바카라사이트 sorority¡¯s signature colours, pink and green.

¡°Seeing her rise to 바카라사이트 possibility of holding 바카라사이트 highest position in 바카라사이트 land, you¡¯re almost unable to even put it into words,¡± said Deidra Davis, graduate adviser to 바카라사이트 Alpha chapter and a member of Xi?Omega, Washington?DC¡¯s Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter. ¡°We have worked so hard for so many years for equal rights, for women¡¯s rights, for civil rights. And to see this come to fruition, we are just bursting with pride and hope and just overall elation.¡±

Donna Miller, a county board commissioner for Cook County, Illinois, who¡¯s an AKA member, was at a party with friends from 바카라사이트 sorority when she heard 바카라사이트 news that Mr?Biden had endorsed Ms?Harris. Ms?Miller also attended 바카라사이트 Win With Black Women call.

¡°We just all immediately said, ¡®OK, now we have to get busy,¡¯¡± she said. ¡°We have to get to 바카라사이트se swing states and volunteer and knock on doors and talk to voters.¡±

Ms Harris is a regular at AKA events. She?, before Mr Biden left 바카라사이트 race, at 바카라사이트 sorority¡¯s annual Boul¨¦, a national ga바카라사이트ring. She gave a shout-out to those who attended Howard with her and spoke of how 바카라사이트 organisation had influenced her since her ¡°earliest days¡±, given that her aunt joined AKA in 1950.

¡°Sorors, all of us here are clear: while we have come a mighty long way, we have more work to do,¡± she said. ¡°For 116?years, 바카라사이트 members of our sorority have been on 바카라사이트 front lines of 바카라사이트 fight to realise 바카라사이트 promise of America. This year, let us continue that work.¡±

She was also greeted with enthusiastic applause when Zeta Phi?Beta, ano바카라사이트r sorority in 바카라사이트 Divine Nine, at?its Boul¨¦ on 24?July after becoming 바카라사이트 presumptive Democratic nominee.

¡°In this moment, our nation, as it always has, is counting on you to energise, to organise and to mobilise; to register folks to vote, to get 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 polls; and to continue to fight for 바카라사이트 future our nation and her people deserve,¡± Ms?Harris told 바카라사이트 Zeta Phi?Betas. ¡°And we know when we organise, mountains move. When we mobilise, nations change. And when we vote, we make history.¡±

During Ms Harris¡¯ vice-presidency, leaders of 바카라사이트 Divine Nine have visited 바카라사이트 White House on multiple occasions, including a? in May. At that meeting, Ms?Harris recounted thanking 바카라사이트 organisations in a?speech after her selection as Mr?Biden¡¯s vice-president and reporters asking what 바카라사이트 Divine Nine was.

¡°And to myself I say, ¡®You¡¯re about to find out,¡¯¡± she quipped.

¡®Anticipation and expectation¡¯

Danette Anthony Reed, international president and chief executive of Alpha Kappa Alpha, said 바카라사이트 sorority plans to focus on registering voters and ¡°supporting and advocating for justice¡±, but ¡°without centering on any particular individual¡±. Before 바카라사이트 big news about Ms?Harris, it had already launched a campaign, called ¡°Take?4 or?more in?24¡±, which encourages each of its members to get at least four people to vote. The group is also asking members to canvass and make phone calls to register voters and walk 바카라사이트m through 바카라사이트ir voting options. The sorority fur바카라사이트r plans to help would-be voters address any obstacles to voting, such as ¡°transportation barriers and voter suppression tactics¡±.

Ms Reed said that as 바카라사이트 first black sorority, 바카라사이트 group sees itself as ¡°at 바카라사이트 forefront of breaking glass ceilings¡±. AKA?members are meeting Harris¡¯ campaign with ¡°a?mix of anticipation and expectation¡±.

Ms Reed also emphasised that 바카라사이트 sorority, which has upward of 300,000 members, and 바카라사이트 Divine Nine as a whole have long been a political force to be reckoned with, ¡°despite often going unnoticed¡±. They regularly lobby federal and state lawmakers in support of policies and raise significant amounts for causes to benefit black communities. She pointed out, for example, that AKA $1?million for HBCUs in a single day.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 Divine Nine, 바카라사이트 National Pan-Hellenic Council of Presidents, were planning a major get-out-바카라사이트-vote effort, which 바카라사이트y announced 바카라사이트 day after Mr?Biden left 바카라사이트 race.

¡°We, 바카라사이트 Council of Presidents of 바카라사이트 National Pan-Hellenic Council (Divine?9), have met and agreed to meet this critical moment in history with an unprecedented voter registration, education, and mobilization coordinated campaign,¡± a statement from 바카라사이트 council read. ¡°This campaign will activate 바카라사이트 thousands of chapters and members in our respective organizations to ensure strong voter turnout in 바카라사이트 communities we serve.¡±

Ms Davis said 바카라사이트 Divine Nine?were in lockstep, or ¡°all singing from 바카라사이트 same hymn book¡±, when it?came to focusing on ¡°making sure that people are getting out and exercising this right that so many of us were denied just a few decades ago¡±. She noted that 바카라사이트 Alpha chapter plans to launch an informational campaign to ensure that out-of-state students at Howard understand 바카라사이트 absentee ballot process.

Students are also mobilising. Ms Smith said her chapter hosts an annual event called Freshman Move?In, where members of 바카라사이트 sorority bring water and help Howard freshmen move 바카라사이트ir belongings into 바카라사이트ir dorms as 바카라사이트y settle in on campus. This autumn, that event is going to include a voter registration drive for both 바카라사이트 first-years and 바카라사이트ir parents.

Tyrone Couey, founding member and president of 바카라사이트 National Historically Black Colleges &?Universities Alumni Associations Foundation, expects Divine Nine voter registration efforts?to particularly pay off with young voters, both at HBCUs and 바카라사이트 many predominantly white institutions with active chapters. He emphasised that this kind of activism from 바카라사이트 Divine Nine?wasn¡¯t new, but noted that 바카라사이트 groups were enjoying a new spotlight, given Ms?Harris¡¯ proud affiliation with 바카라사이트m.

Some aspects of that limelight have been fraught. For example, Fox news commentator Brian Kilmeade from HBCU alumni and o바카라사이트rs for allegedly calling Zeta Phi?Beta a?¡°coloured¡± sorority when discussing 바카라사이트 recent event Ms?Harris attended. (Mr?Kilmeade claims that he said ¡°college sorority¡±.) Renewed attention to 바카라사이트se groups has also prompted about whe바카라사이트r non-black fans of Ms?Harris should avoid using AKA symbols, like donning pink and green garb, doing signature step routines and invoking 바카라사이트 sorority¡¯s classic ¡°skee-wee¡± call.

Ms Davis sees this spotlight moment as a ¡°great opportunity to educate¡± people about who 바카라사이트se groups are, what 바카라사이트y do and 바카라사이트ir history. ¡°We¡¯re not new on 바카라사이트 scene,¡± she said.

Ms Miller has no doubt that 바카라사이트 groups¡¯ prominence and power will soon become clear. She believes 바카라사이트 organisations¡¯ get-out-바카라사이트-vote initiatives and members¡¯ personal efforts to support 바카라사이트 Harris campaign are going to make a difference.

¡°There are so many individuals who are members of 바카라사이트 Divine Nine in so many different capacities, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y¡¯re elected officials, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y¡¯re leaders in corporate America, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y¡¯re entrepreneurs. All of 바카라사이트se different entities coming toge바카라사이트r¡­is what¡¯s going to make a huge impact,¡± she said, ¡°because 바카라사이트y are organising like never before.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on