Black Girl Magic: The Power of Black Women in Elections

Black women voters are the key to electing Hillary Clinton president in November, according to data released Tuesday by the AFL-CIO. The data reveal that black women turn out to vote in higher numbers than other women and, just as they helped President Barack Obama win in 2008 and 2012, can secure the presidency for Hillary Clinton. "Black women cannot afford to sit this election out," said Carmen Berkley, AFL-CIO director of civil, human and women’s rights. "A loss for Secretary Clinton is a loss for the black family, from the White House to the Supreme Court,” said Berkley. “We need to let our communities know what's at stake if we let a divisive fear monger like Donald Trump make decisions that affect everything from our families to our jobs." The AFL-CIO plans large-scale outreach to women union members across the country in key states where black women made the difference in the past presidential election. The new AFL-CIO data indicates that black women participate in leadership in America’s unions at a greater percentage than their actual unionization rates, making these women a force and the foundation for political change.

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