14 Out of 535: African American Women in the US Congress

Only 14 of the 535 Members of the US Congress are African American women. While the numbers are more substantial on the state and local level, it is a travesty that at the beginning of the 21st Century, there are still so few African American women elected officials. The Future PAC exists to ensure that there is a significant increase in the number of progressive African American elected officials on the federal, state and local level.

Currently there are fourteen African American women serving in the U.S. Congress all of whom serve in the House. Carol Moseley Braun, who represented Illinois from 1993-1999 in the U.S. Senate, was the first and last African American woman Senator. The numbers of Black women in the U.S. Congress have increased significantly since the Congressional Black Caucus was founded in 1971, when Shirley Chisholm was the only woman. However, the rate of growth has been much slower than it should be. In 2006, Black women make up a mere 17.3% of all of the women in the U.S. Congress. That number has basically remained the same for the last ten years but does not necessarily reflect how many Black women have attempted to run for Congress. It does reflect how difficult it is for Black women to break into political territory that is dominated by white men.

Often, African American women candidates struggle to wage successful campaigns because they lack the financial and human resources necessary to get their name and message out to voters. Even when they have the resources, typically they have to fight twice as hard to convince potential supporters that they are equally or more qualified than their male opponents. For example, in the September primary for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, our endorsed candidate, Nikki Tinker, raised the most money and ran a strong campaign but lost to a white male in a race weighed down by too many candidates.

There are only two African American women holding statewide elected offices, representing just 2.5% of the 79 women serving in statewide elected executive offices. However, the percentages of Black women serving in state legislatures are much higher. There are a total of 226 African American women (including 59 senators and 167 representatives) serving in 39 states representing 13.4% of the 1,685 women holding seats in state legislatures. The numbers of Black women holding offices on the local level are even greater, which is particularly significant in larger cities like Atlanta, where Shirley Franklin, an African American woman, is the Mayor.

The percentages of African American women elected officials are even lower when considered in their full contexts. For example, Black women make up only 3.2% of the 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and as was mentioned earlier, 0% of the U.S. Senate. Yet the need for the kind of principled and courageous leadership African American women bring to public office is greater than ever. In 2006, the masses of African American people across this country are still trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty. The vast majority of our children are languishing in underperforming public schools and entering the juvenile justice system at an alarming rate. We need progressive Black women elected officials who will represent our interests and advocate for us on the local, state and federal level. But incumbent and first-time Black women candidates cannot get there alone. They need us to invest in them early and often, which directly impacts their ability to wage successful campaigns and win elections.

Statistics provided by the Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey