By Karen Stokes
Carmen Berkley, Director, Civil, Human and Women’s Rights AFL-CIO
The 2016 election is said to be one of the most important elections in our recent history. Battleground states are close and African American women voters could make the difference.
In 2008, over 90 percent of African American women voted for Barack Obama. Statistics show in 2012, without the African American woman vote, President Obama would not had won the election. In battleground states of Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania Obama picked up 57 electoral votes, African American women voters made the difference.
Based on exit poll data for the 2012 election, over 70 percent of African American women voted in the election, 65.6 percent of white women, 62.6 percent of white men and 61.4 of African American men voted in the same election.
“The reason why Black women made the difference is because we bring our entire household to the polls with us” said Carmen Berkley, director of Civil, Human and Woman’s Rights, AFL-CIO.
“An investment in Black women is an investment in a number of different people within a particular household.”
Even though African American women represent a reliable and large voting block, they are the most under courted by candidates running for office.
“When candidates are spending money and looking for persuadable voters, we don’t fall into this category,” said Sheila Cochran, AFL-CIO, Milwaukee Chief Operating Officer. “African American women understand how the economy works because we are the first affected by it and we usually vote our best interest.”
A new report from the Center for America says that African American women experience socioeconomic inequality more than any other demographic, yet they vote more than all other groups and almost always in favor of the Democratic candidate.
“The AFL-CIO and the Labor movement overall is really excited to engage in the 2016 election. We are excited working with issues pertaining to women of color,” Berkley said.
Locally in Wisconsin, Republican Governor Scott Walker proposed Act 10 legislation, that was passed in 2011.
The legislation impacted collective bargaining, compensation, health insurance, retirement and sick leave of public sector employees.
A result of Act 10 was a decrease of union membership and union employee layoffs in Wisconsin.
“Women were the primary target of Act 10,” Cochran said. “The largest group of women demographically were mostly Black women. Many of these women still have involvement with unions by way of volunteering.”
“We need to get in formation for HRC,” Berkley said. “Whether you’ve been riding with Secretary Clinton’s campaign since day one, you rode hard for Senator Sanders or your feeling disconnected from politics altogether, let’s take a step back and acknowledge that Mr. Donald “you’re fired” Trump is not a viable candidate for Black women.”
Women in power have been and still in many cases are viewed negatively in the media and in the office. Women are still struggling to get their foot in the door but they are working hard to crack the “glass ceiling”. If elected, Secretary Hillary Clinton could permanently shatter the “glass ceiling”.
“Black women have the opportunity once again to shift the electorate by using their power to register, educate and turn out other Black folks to vote,” Berkley said. “When we engage our families in political discourse, we’re able to shift opinions, hearts, minds and votes. Whether it’s at the hair salon, grocery store, Bible study or brunch we must utilize our Black girl magic for social change.”
To learn more information on Labor issues, civil and woman’s rights issues or how you can volunteer with the membership based organization, Working America, go to Milwaukeelabor.org.