Senior Political Strategist Working Families Party
Program Success 8 November 2020
Women Organizers continued from page 7
6 Black WomenOrganizers What Happen in Georgia and What comes next Politics , Elections , Campaigns Britney Whaley November 2020
Britney Whaley
Senior Political Strategist Working Families Party
What they do :
The Working Families Party is a progressive political party , running candidates who support causes like fair wages and criminal justice reform .
How they shaped the election in Georgia :
The Working Families Party recruits , trains , and endorses candidates not just with a progressive agenda but with a “ people-powered ” approach to governance in mind , Whaley said . “ When we get people elected , they ’ re people who come from our communities , they ’ re highly accountable , they ’ re grassroots leaders , and we know that the conversation changes from , ‘ Do you deserve $ 15 an hour and a union ?’ to , ‘ How can we make this happen ?’” Whaley said .
This election cycle , the party began working with many of its candidates back in February . And it ’ s not just about nationwide or even statewide races . In Georgia , the party endorsed candidates like Dr . Tarece Johnson , who won a seat on the Gwinnett County School Board , where four out of the five previous members were white . And while school board races don ’ t usually get national attention , they ’ re crucial for causes like getting police out of schools and ending the criminalization of children of color , Whaley said . “ All of these things are intertwined .”
Their lessons for 2021 and beyond :
While changing demographics matter , a big part of Democrats ’ success in Georgia this year was about the longterm work of organizers on the ground , Whaley said . And it ’ s not just about groups like the Working Families Party that work directly on elections . Activists in the Movement for Black Lives , the Sunrise Movement , the Rising Majority , and smaller mutual aid and other organizations around the state “ aren ’ t captured in this story of electoral politics , nor do they probably desire to be , but they are definitely informing how we move in electoral politics ,” Whaley said .
For the future , Whaley says parties and candidates need to invest in Black communities over the long term . Today , candidates often come into these communities to campaign right before an election — “ and then there ’ s nothing ,” Whaley said . “ It ’ s like radio silence after Election Day .”
Instead , campaigns need to invest the same kind of energy they ’ ve spent trying to understand and court the votes of white rural voters , Whaley said . “ You need to be looking at Black voters and people of color and saying , ‘ We need to make sure we excite them — give them something to vote
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