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By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media
On March 12, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and the Legislative Women’s Caucus partnered to host a screening of the documentary “Respect My Crown: The Rise of African American Women in California Politics.”
The event, held at the Crest Theater in downtown Sacramento, was followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Pamela Bright-Moon, and its producer, Alisa Covington.
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) was one of the organizers of the event co-created with the California Black Women’s Collective Institute.
“It was about celebrating and uplifting women for Women’s History Month,” said McKinnor, a member of CLBC. “(This film) itself is powerful and dynamic. It really takes you across California’s history and It takes you across Black women’s political history in Northern and Southern California.”
Respect My Crown” is a feature-length documentary film that explores the significant contributions of African American women in leadership in the areas of politics, labor, and community activism in the State of California.
McKinnor said the film starts with former California U.S. senator Kamala Harris becoming the first Black woman Vice President and ends with labor activist Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Ladera Heights), who sworn in as a California State Senator in 2022. Between those milestones, the film traces the rich history of Black women in California politics, including the election of Yvonne Braithwaite Burke, the first Black woman elected to the California Legislature in 1966.
A number of state legislators and elected officials attended the event, including California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who is featured in the documentary.
“We now have Black women politicians, district attorneys and state officials. The film also touches on local city council persons and mayors such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. It shows Black women’s footprints on the political landscape of California,” said McKinnor.
