Introducing: Higher Heights

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When it comes to leadership roles and positions of power, there’s an enormous imbalance of representation skewed in favour of men, and in favour of whiteness. Women of colour currently constitute 7.3% of the total 535 members of Congress.(1) In 2018, out of the 110 seats (20.6%) held by women in the US Congress, 19 were held by those who identify as Black. Of the 325 women who have served in the U.S. Congress to date, only 38 have been Black.(2) Black women constitute 0.96% of the total 312 statewide elective executives—there are only 3 of them out of the total 74 women who serve. The 275 Black women who make up 14.7% of the 1,875 women state legislators constitute 3.7% of the total 7,383 US state legislators.(1) Women of colour are approximately 18% of the US population, yet only hold 3.2% of the board seats of Fortune 500 companies. African-American women only occupy 5.3% in managerial and professional positions.(3) Out of the 100 largest US cities, 7 Black women currently serve as mayors.(1) These statistics give a sample of the equity gap that exists between Black women and men, and also as women of colour compared to white women.

Trump’s disdain for Black women goes beyond Twitter posts and public belittling. The Trump administration, instead of continuing the recent trend of appointing women of colour to positions of authority, has instead been characterised by antipathy towards diversification. Trump’s Cabinet and sub-Cabinet does not contain even one Black woman. There is only one African-American woman in the top levels of the White House: political aide Omarosa Manigault.(4) In January 2019, the White House announced its judicial nominees for the 116th Congress, all of whom are men and appear to be white. This exclusion of women and people of colour is consistent with the Trump administration’s 2-year record. Trump has nominated only 3 African Americans to lifetime positions (out of over 150), and sidelined African Americans and Latinos completely from federal circuit courts nominations. Trump has not appointed a single Black woman to the federal judiciary, in contrast to the two presidents before him: Obama holds the record of appointing 26 African American women to the judiciary, and George W. Bush appointed 8 Black women. Due to the retirement of 3 Black women serving on federal appellate courts, only 4 remain—and of those, 3 further are eligible for retirement.(5)

Higher Heights (HH) was founded in 2011 to combat the severe under-representation of Black women at all levels of government, to invest in and support the political leadership journeys of Black women, and to mobilise Black women as civic participants. HH was founded by Black women for Black women, and consists of Higher Heights for America, a 501(c)) organisation, and its sister Higher Heights Leadership Fund, a 501(c)3 organization.(6) HH is investing in the next generation of political leaders by developing national civic engagement infrastructure and network with four key components: capacity building, grassroots organizing, research, and convenings.(7) HH is researching and creating an environment for Black women to build political power through online training, research, cultural-shifting communications work and digital campaigns. (7) (8) Additionally, HH’s #BlackWomenVote non-partisan campaign is mobilising the voting power of Black women by providing the latest election news, commentary and tools for them to raise their voice and cast their vote.(7) (8) The monthly virtual Sunday Brunch programme spreads the power of social networking and engage in national conversations. The brunches provide a safe space with opportunities to learn about, comment on and take action on issues affecting Black women’s communities.(8) As the US gears up for the 2020 elections, it’s important that Black women get the support they need to cast their votes knowledgeably, and to run for political leadership positions.

Higher Heights Leadership Fund is a tax deductible 501(c)3 charitable organisation. Higher Heights for America is a 501(c)4 organisation that is not tax deductible.


*Please note that the use of Black, African-American and African American has been preserved as in the original sources, which is why you will find both descriptors in the above.

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Citations:

[1] “Women of Color in Elective Office 2018.” Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University, http://cawp.rutgers.edu/women-color-elective-office-2018.
[2] “Women in Congress 2018.” Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University, https://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/women-us-congress-2018.
[3] Warner, Judith. “Fact Sheet: The Women’s Leadership Gap Center for American Progress.” American Progress, 7 March 2014, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2014/03/07/85457/fact-sheet-the-womens-leadership-gap/
[4] Nelson, Sophia. “What’s Trump’s Problem With Black Women?” Politico, 26 Oct 2017, https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/26/trump-black-women-gop-215751
[5] Johnson, Derrick. “Trump is undoing the diversity of the federal bench.” The Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-undoing-the-diversity-of-the-federal-bench/2019/01/22/29d4a4fe-1e8c-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html?utm_term=.2d7451e21cce
[6] “About Higher Heights.” Higher Heights, http://www.higherheightsforamerica.org/about_higher_heights.
[7] “About Higher Heights Leadership Fund.” Higher Heights, http://www.higherheightsleadershipfund.org/about.
[8] “Our Programs.” Higher Heights, http://www.higherheightsleadershipfund.org/our_programs.