Accountability, Not Perfection
When Black Womxn For embarked on a process to endorse a candidate for President of the United States we did so with a mind toward movement building and co-governance. Not a movement led by a singular figure or to elect a candidate, but the movement we have built together that boldly states Black lives matter, healthcare as human right, no human is illegal, everyone deserves a living wage and so much more. What would it mean to have a President who was accountable to communities most impacted by their policies? What would it look like to not only bring a folding chair like Shirley Chisholm taught us, but to actually shake the table?
We went into this process knowing that there was no such thing as a perfect candidate. Perfection is never the goal — growth and accountability are. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley said of Elizabeth Warren “I’m not interested in a savior, I’m looking for a partner.” This is what lies at the heart of our endorsement.
Over a month ago video surfaced of Senator Warren and other candidates for President discussing the death penalty. While we were encouraged to see that, like us, she opposed it, what we did not agree with was the language that was used to describe life imprisonment as the best viable alternative. As we watched the human tragedies unfold in Mississippi around the Parchment Prison , as organizers work diligently in St Louis to Close the Workhouse and as we continue to fight for a world that invests in communities not criminalization, we could not remain silent.
We immediately released a public statement making clear that Senator Warren’s answer was not in line with our shared values. We also maintained that she was the only candidate in this race that had an intersectional analysis on race, gender and class, is in the best position to implement structural change, and is the most willing to show accountability through policy.
We were not disappointed. Immediately after we expressed our concerns Senator Warren and members of her Senior Staff held a call with members of our Steering Committee. Senator Warren expressed her gratitude for us leaning into the accountability principle of our endorsement, re-grounded in our shared values, and then she stopped to listen.
In consultation with Senator Cory Booker and members of the Black Womxn For Steering Committee, Senator Warren released a plan to create a clemency board that prioritizes the cases of older Americans who have been incarcerated for long sentences with the recognition that this will impact Black and Brown people the most, as we are disproportionately given life sentences. We applaud this shift and lift it up as an example of how candidates can be in transparent accountable relationship with movement leaders who support them.
To read the policy in detail: https://elizabethwarren.com/plans/criminal-justice-reform?source=soc-WB-ew-tw
For more on our accountability process check out this piece by Black Womxn For Steering Committee Member Charlene Carruthers: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/black-womxn-for-warren-holding-candidates-accountable
Black Womxn For is an organizing network of progressive Black women, gender non-conforming and non-binary folks taking action around the 2020 elections. Black Womxn For has endorsed Sen Elizabeth Warren — to read our full endorsement statement and join us visit BlackWomxnFor.com/bwfwarren
