JUL 22, 20US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a moderated conversation with former Trump administration national security official Olivia Troye and former Republican voter Amanda Stratton on July 17, 2024 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Harris’ visit, following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, makes this her fourth trip to Michigan this year and seventh visit since taking office.
It was the hottest room to be in last night — and it was all virtual.
A Sunday evening Zoom meeting organized on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris by political advocacy group Win With Black Women drew 44,000 people, raising over $1.5 million in just a few hours, according to Jotaka Eaddy, the group’s founder.“We are united and fired up,” Eaddy told theGrio. “Ready to work to defeat Trump and his 2025 agenda and ensure that Vice President Harris is the next president of the United States!”
The interest was so strong that attendees who tried to join the call in the first hour couldn’t due to capacity restrictions, with some creating other spaces to listen in from, utilizing Google Meets, Twitch and listen-only phone calls. Win With Black Women organizers connected with Aparna Bawa, the COO of Zoom for support, and soon the floodgates opened as women and allies from across the country joined to strategize about how to support Harris’ run for president.
Win With Black Women is an intergenerational women’s group that has rallied support for Black women in politics, with a particular focus on getting Black women appointed to senior positions in the Biden-Harris administration. The group played a role in persuading President Joe Biden to select Harris as his vice presidential nominee in 2020.
While the Sunday night call itself was off the record, for many attendees, the assignment was clear: Get in formation and rally voter support for Harris by Election Day, Nov. 5. The stakes could not be higher, as evidenced by former president and current GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s immediate lobbing of attacks toward Harris, seeking to tie her performance to Biden’s perceived mental and physical decline.
Despite the tumult that led to Biden’s withdrawal from the race, advocates for Harris see an opportunity to ensure she gets credit for the many legislative accomplishments the two were able to achieve during their tenure.
“The call itself felt like winning — to be engaged, to be in community, to speak (and yell!) about what’s possible is where real change and progress begins — and to be in that moment with over 44,000 women, sisters, friends, strangers — it was truly priceless!” Margaret Anadu, an attendee who is also an impact investor, told theGrio.
“I have laughed and cried and prayed on this call. It has truly been an experience,” said an anonymous attendee who is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the same Black Greek-letter organization as Harris.
“[Dr.] Johnnetta Cole [said] ‘Don’t ever let them say Black women can’t do it,’” she added.
“I was one of the 44,000,” read the text of a social media graphic of Harris speaking that Win With Black Women created. The post started to spread like wildfire Monday morning, as attendees reflected on what the meeting meant to them.
If Win With Black Women’s remarkable Zoom call was any indication of how efficiently Black women can organize politically, the 2024 race for president could be historic in more ways than one.
“I am FED and LIFTED. I don’t have the words for tonight’s magic. 44,000 of us got on a Zoom, and it was life-affirming,” posted New York Times bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones, reposting Win With Black Women’s social media graphic. “The mission is clear. … We move.
OneVoiceOneFight”