California Black Women Coalition for #KeepTheSeat Demand Governor Gavin Newsom to Appoint a Black Woman for the #USSenate

By Marie Y. Lemelle, MBA

Governor Gavin Newsom,

Like a modern-day Harriet Tubman, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris kicked opened the door to claim a seat at the U.S. Senate table. Her legacy is to lead more Black women to the table who will represent a forgotten but strong California population.  It is no surprise that women are already underrepresented in the U.S. Senate; and that is unacceptable. California should continue to buck the trend and send a Black woman to the U.S. Senate.

Historically, Black women are blatantly excluded from leadership roles. Kamala Harris, the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate, changed the game for us and proved that a Black woman is invaluable to the progression of California and our Nation. Let’s not forget that Black women voted in record numbers to deliver a victory to Democrats and our country.

Far too often the work and sacrifices of Black women go unrecognized and undervalued. We urge you to honor and embrace the hard work and determination that Kamala Harris and Black women have forged through to keep California strong.  We earned the right to #KeeptheSeat and will continue to fight to never give up our seat to represent all people but especially the largest population in the State of California.

December 1 marked the 65^th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat.  Her right to keep her seat was a symbol of will power and the right to claim a prominent place in this world. We are ready to repeat the historic and courageous move that Ms. Parks made to demand respect and inclusion. She stood her ground without a coalition of Black women by her side.

Today, Black women from across the Nation are in full force to stand beside U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37) and U.S. Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and fight for them to be the right choice to fill the seat.  Don’t mute the Black woman’s voice. 

We live the values of gender equality, fairness, community, diversity, and authenticity that are essential to strong leadership. We ask that you do not overlook our progressive leaders Bass and Lee to carry the torch lit by Kamala Harris.

There is no doubt that Bass and Lee are ready to take on the challenges and issues that face Californians.  They have the experience and the relationships to step in Kamala Harris’ shoes and step up to the table with confidence and determination. They know how to get the work done in Congress while advocating for the needs of Californians.

This is our time, and we are staking our claim to the seat that Kamala Harris earned with the support of

Black women.  We are the backbone of the democratic party, both as voters and organizers. Diversity in our leaders is the core to who we are in California. Together, we benefit from a variety in experiences and perspectives.

We know that both Bass and Lee are leaders that we can trust and depend on in crisis. That said, we deserve to maintain our representation in the U.S. Senate. Governor Newsom, we urge you to hear us and appoint Bass or Lee to the seat.

It’s time to deliver for us.

California Black Women Coalition for #KeepTheSeat

Hon. Donesia Gause-Aldana  Carson            Hon. Sydney Kamlager-Dove  Los Angeles   Hon. Deborah Robertson     Rialto

Hon. Aja Brown                        Compton        Hon. Lula Davis-Holmes           Carson            Hon. Emma Sharif           Compton                                                                                                                                Hon. Cheryl Brown                  Sacramento    Hon. Yvonne Horton                 Inglewood     Hon. Diane Watson     Los Angeles

Hon. Autumn Burke                Los Angeles     Hon. Holly J. Mitchell               Los  Angeles   Hon. Shirley Weber       San Diego

Hon. Michelle Chambers       Compton          Hon. Treva Reid                        Oakland          Hon. Lori Wilson          Suisun City

Melina Abdullah           Los Angeles

Aimee Allison                Oakland

Bobbiejean Anderson  Moreno Valley

Ebani Anderson             Los Angeles

Niele Anderson             Los Angeles

Joy Atkinson                 Los Angeles

Sheila Baker                 Bellflower

Kim Ballard                  Lancaster

Sabrina Benson            Rialto

Vicki Blakley                 Sacramento

Charlotte Bland            Los Angeles

Sheila Brown               Los Angeles

Taisha Brown               San Diego

Tonya Burke                Perris

April Burton                 Compton

Velma Butler                Pasadena 

Barbara Calhoun          Compton

Darla Carpool               Los Angeles

Jasmyne Cannick          Los Angeles

Sandi Cook                    Los Angeles

Lori Cordinus                 Orange

Maureen Craft               Elk Grove

Karen Earl                      Los Angeles

Nolice Edwards              Sacramento

Kimberly Ellis                 Richmond

Dionne Faulk                  Inglewood

Nourbese Flint               Los Angeles

Norma Foree                 Long Beach

Carolyn Fowler                Inglewood

Dallas Fowler                  Inglewood

Gail Francis                     Lake Elsinore

Tresla Gilbreath               Sacramento

Glenda Gill                      Los Angeles

Angela Gipson                 Inglewood

Le Cresha K. Gipson        Carson           

Wendy Gladney               Upland

Alice Goff                        Los Angeles

Gloria Gray                     Inglewood

Sharon Guest                  Los Angeles

Kellie Hawkins                 Los Angeles

Jacqueline Hawthorne   Los Angeles

Nichelle Henderson        Gardena

Ingrid Hutt                      Los Angeles

Danielle Hollis             Burbank

lona Hendrick             Los Angeles

Patsy Howard             Los Angeles

Cine Ivery                   Inglewood

Andrea Jackson           Los Angeles

Jannell Jackson           Sacramento

Joan Jackson                Los Angeles

Adrienne Johnson       Pasadena

Rachel Johnson           Gardena

Deidre Jones               Long Beach

Rev. Dr. Joy Johnson  Antelope

Laniece Jones              Oakland

Holland Jordan            Castro Valley

Angela King                 Los Angeles

Marie Y. Lemelle         Glendale

Bennetra Lewis           Lancaster

Alicia Lewis                 Los Angeles

Arnetta Mack              Inglewood

Natasha Marshall       Inglewood

Phyllis Marshall           Sacramento

Ronnie Martin             Los Angeles

Tamry McCauley         Santa Clarita

Tina McKinnor            Hawthorne

Tonia McMillian          Bellflower

Dewanda Mitchell      San Bernardino

Tracy Mitchell             Pasadena

Tamela Mitchell          Pasadena

Pamela Mitchell          Pasadena

Sarah Morris               Adelanto

Shenia Morris             Victorville

Gloria Myles               Los Angeles

Ingrid Palmer              Los Angeles

Ann Perkins                  San Bernardino

Sharon Polk                 Los Angeles

Sandra Poole               Sacramento

Angela Reddock           Carson

Lenee Richards            Los Angeles

Audrena Redmond      Long Beach

Diane Robertson          Los Angeles

Rosa Russell                 Los Angeles

Patt Sanders                Inglewood

Jamie Scott                  Inglewood

Andrea Slater                 Vallejo

Dolores Spears                Los Angeles

Brianna Spratt                 Irvine

Jasmine Stanley               Los Angeles

Tiffani Stone                   Elk Grove

Novell Thompson            Fontana

Gloria Gray                     Inglewood

Anette Walker                Hayward

Jackie Washington          Hawthorne

Molly Watson                  Los Angeles

Denise Watts                  Canyon Country

Daphne Wayans              Tarzana

Yvonne Wheeler           Long Beach

Wanza Tolliver                 Los Angeles

Kathy Williamson             Los Angeles

Katrina Williams            Long Beach

K. Patrice Williams        Vallejo

Wanda F. Williams            Sacramento

Gail Willis                          Los Angeles

Lolita Willis                        Long Beach

Ethell Woods                     Los Angeles

Jimmy Woods Gray            Los Angeles

Rashina Young                    Carson

Melanie Young                     Long Beach

Tiffani Stone Alvidez           Elk Grove

Jacque Robinson-Baisley    Pasadena

Shay Franco-Clausen           San Jose

Lola Smallwood Cuevas       Los Angeles

Julia Cooksey-Evans            Northridge

Cheryl Lanier Gates             San Francisco

Kellie Todd-Griffin                Carson

Dezie Woods-Jones              Madera

Kendra Noel Lewis              Sacramento

Patrice Marshall McKenzie   Pasadena

Pamela Bright-Moon             Los Angeles

Eva Hoffman-Murray             Bellflower

Pastor Thembeklia Smart     Los Angeles

Roslyn Austin Stewart           Los Angeles

L’Toya Wheeler Tate            Corona

Charisse Bremond Weaver   Pasadena

Charlotte Northern White     San Diego