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Over the past 42 years, the political climate has changed obviously, not only are we in our second term of our first Black President and have a first Black Family in the White House, but in recent years we have seen a steady increase of Black women in politics. It seems that this is the moment for Black women to ascend from their various communities into the halls of government.
Black women in politics today are following in the steps of trailblazers like Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, who entered into the smoke filled room of politics to create better policies not only for black families and children but for all for in this country. Here are a few women in public office you should know.
Aja Brown, a 31-year-old urban planner from Altadena, California, began working for the City of Compton’s redevelopment agency to create programs for the betterment of Compton like the “Clean Compton Brownfield Program,” which received support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The program resulted in the EPA discovering three 10,000 gallon underground tanks at an abandoned gas station in Compton that were quickly removed from an abandoned Compton Gas Station. This $1.3 million discovery has made room for job opportunities in Compton due to the heavy need for contamination. In 2013, Brown decided to throw her hat in the ring to become Compton’s next mayor against the incumbent Eric J Perrodin and former Compton Mayor Omar Bradley. Brown defeated Perrodin in the primary and beat Bradley on election day with 63.5 percent of the vote and the immense support from the citizens of Compton.
The significance of her win, which was reported in media outlets like BET and Vogue, is important. She is the first female mayor in the city of Compton since the election of Doris A Davis in 1965. Not only was Davis the first black woman to serve as mayor of Compton, she was also the first black woman to be elected as mayor of a major metropolitan city. Brown has also made history by being the youngest mayor in the city of Compton.
Now that she’s in office, Brown’s 12-point strategy gives a clear analysis of the problems that plagues Compton and strategies to tackle them. With solutions like re-establishing citizen site committees to control political corruption, quarterly citizen trainings that allow Compton’s citizens to get involved in government affairs, various youth employment and mentoring programs and the appointment of a police commissioner, Mayor Brown is bringing her “Vision of Compton” forward and alleviating many of the negative stereotypes of Compton that has been created by the mass media and pop culture.
Across the country in the state of Ohio, Black women are making huge strides in the political environment. Miesha
Headen is the first Black female mayor in the city of Richmond Heights, a suburb in Cleveland. It has a large multicultural constituency including Black, White, Asian American, Spanish, Russian, Slovenian, Italian and Croatian residents. Beginning as a councilwoman-at-large in 2009, Headen worked on major programs for the continued progression of Richmond Heights, like writing and sponsoring a $35,000 grant from the Cuyahoga County Department of Development to place rubber pavement on the playground of schools.
She pushed the Richmond Heights’ administration to fulfill the state and county requirements of filing timely and accurate annual financial statements in 2012. And after a decade, the city filed its financial statements on time under Headen’s leadership. She also organized the “Right to Read Week” with the principal of Richmond Heights Elementary School in order to introduce the children to the successful and active members in Richmond Heights. Since her election in 2013, in which she defeated three other candidates including the incumbent mayor Daniel J. Ursu, her plans include retaining middle class families by implanting clear guidelines for owner–occupied real estate, single family units and foreclosed homes. She plans to update public amenities of Richmond Heights like a baseball and soccer field, a recreation center, an off-road bike trail and a modernized pool. Mayor Headen is continuing to pursue her goals for the city of Richmond Heights and all of her constituents.
State Senator Nina Turner has also made a big splash in politics in Ohio as well as around the country. Beginning her political career as the first woman to represent Ward 1 in Cleveland as a councilwoman, she was later appointed to the vacant 25th Ohio Senate Seat. Two years later she was elected by the constituents in her district. With her legislation, she quickly received respect by her peers in the state senate, her constituency, and many residents outside of her district in the state of Ohio. She worked to fight on behalf of women’s healthcare, to expand voting rights and to block Senate Bill 5, a piece of legislation that would stop collective bargaining or negotiations for public workers like firemen, policemen and teachers. Senator Turner’s intelligence, work hard ethic and expertise in organizing and constituency development in the state of Ohio has accrued national attention.
She has been on MSNBC’s The Ed Show and Melissa Harris-Perry Show, and has also gained the attention and support of celebrities like Grammy award-winner and Ohio native John Legend and nationally syndicated talk show host Rickey Smiley. Senator Turner is currently running against the incumbent Jon Husted for Ohio Secretary of State. If she wins this election (which is a high possibility), she will make history by being the first Black politician and the first woman to hold a statewide office in Ohio. Senator Turner’s dedication to equality in the ballot box will make her the ideal person for Ohio’s next Secretary of State.
Black women like Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, Governor Barbara Jordan, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Congresswoman Maxine Waters have paved the way for Black girls who run for class president hoping to one day run for public office. Mayor Aja Brown, Mayor Miesha Headen and Senator Nina Turner will continue to pave the way for the next generation of young Black female leaders to aspire to run for office and possibly ascend to highest office in this land.