The Barriers Black Women Face While Running for Public Office

I’ll never forget what another Black woman serving in elected office told me in the aftermath of a traumatic, racist experience I encountered almost one year ago today. During a crying phone call, she said to me that when you’re a Black woman, you can never ‘just serve’ in public office. There’s no such thing as simply campaigning, showing up, doing your job, and going home. Why? Because every single barrier, racist or sexist experience you encounter stays with you. As the second Black woman el