Black Women in Politics

Last year the Center for American Women and Politics and Higher Heights joined forces to produce and distribute "The Status of Black Women in American Politics," a report on black women's representation at all levels of government. The report makes clear that the rise in Black women officeholders is a rather recent history, with the most significant gains occurring over the past four decades.

 The numbers of Black women elected to date are stark and small relative to Black men and all women. However, interpreted differently, these data exemplify the opportunity for Black women to identify, expand, and capitalize upon electoral opportunities. Thus, when it comes to Black women's political representation, we have much history left to make.

What history did Black women make in the 2014 elections? And what is the status of Black women in American politics today?

Shirley Chishom, first black woman to be elected to Congress

 The rise in Black women office holders is a rather recent history, with the most significant gains occurring over the past four decades. The numbers of Black women elected to date are stark and small relative to Black men and all women. However, interpreted differently, these data exemplify the opportunity for Black women to identify, expand,and capitalize upon electoral opportunities.

 Congress

Eighteen Black women (17 Democrats and one Republican) serve in the 114th Congress, four more than served before Election Day 2014. Another two Black women serve as delegates from Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands, respectively. Alma Adams (D-North Carolina) became the 100th woman in Congress upon her special election to fill a vacant seat for the remainder of the 113th Congress. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey) and Mia Love (R-Utah) both became the first Black women to represent their states in Congress (ever!) in January 2015. Love also made history as the first Black Republican woman to serve in Congress. Two other newcomers, Brenda Lawrence (D-Michigan) and Stacey Plaskett (Delegate, D-Virginia) joined the freshman class of Black congresswomen this year. In fact, Black women are one third of the new women elected to the 114th Congress.

Black women's congressional representation increased in both number and proportion by every measure from 2014 to 2015. Black women are 21.4 percent of all women in the U.S. House in 2015, up from 17.7 percent of women in the fall of 2014. They also represent 9.6 percent of the Democratic Caucus, up from 7 percent before Election Day 2014. Still, Black women are only 4.1 percent of all members of the House in 2015 (up from 3.2 percent in 2014), despite being nearly 7 percent of the population. 

There remain opportunities for Black women to make congressional history in 2015. Only 35 Black women have ever served in Congress, 11.4 percent of the 307 women who have served as representatives or senators to date. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Illinois) remains the only Black woman to ever hold a U.S. Senate seat. Finally, even including the Black women newly elected in 2014, 35 states have yet to send a Black woman to Congress.