Kamala Harris’ campaign, drawing upon the Democratic Party’s segregationist past, is dividing her supporters into breakout groups based entirely on their race and gender.
The Democratic Party has a long history of supporting segregation. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the landmark civil rights bill that legislated an end to racial discrimination and segregation in public, passed the United States Senate 73-27. Of the 27 nay votes, 21 were Democrats. In the House, the bill passed 289-126, with 91 nays from Democrats. Democratic South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond delivered the longest filibuster in Senate history in opposition to a civil rights bill, and would go on to form an offshoot of the Democratic Party, the States’ Rights Democratic Party — also known as the Dixiecrats — a party explicitly formed to oppose racial integration.
And while the Democratic Party, under the leadership of President Harry Truman, began moving away from supporting segregation, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for presidency appears to be re-embracing it by dividing supporters into groups based solely on race and gender.
The trend began July 21, when over 40,000 people gathered in a Zoom call called “Black Women for Harris.” The call, organized by Win With Black Women, featured 44,000 participants, according to the group.
Where you one of the 44k on the call? #WinWithBlackWomen pic.twitter.com/6nQOkircVa
— Win With Black Women (@WinWithBLKWomen) July 22, 2024
A day later, “Black Men for Harris” further built on the divide, also hosting a segregated Zoom call with over 45,000 attendees, according to one of the organizers.
Update on #WinWithBlackMen call tonight:
4 hrs
220k+ YT views
45k+ attendees on Streamyard
17k+ donors
$1.3 million+ raised to support @KamalaHarris & Black Male organizingThank you @rolandsmartin @MrMikeBlake @DCKhalilT @winwithblkmen @CollectivePAC @Bakari_Sellers
— Quentin James (@QJames) July 23, 2024
White women for Kamala joined the trend Thursday and raised over $8.5 million for their event.
NEW: We’ve raised over $8.5 million so far!
All from last night’s Zoom of nearly 200,000 women answering the call for Kamala Harris.
Thank you @WinWithBLKWomen for showing us how it’s done.
Help us get to $10 million: https://t.co/ruTF35YYDC
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 26, 2024
The event featured prominent social media creator Arielle Fodor, who lectured the white women and warned them never to correct non-whites.
“As white women, we need to use our privilege to make positive changes. If you find yourself talking over or speaking for bipoc individuals, or God forbid, correcting them, just take a beat and instead we can put our listening ears on,” Fodor warned.
“As white women we need to use our privilege to make positive changes.”
Former teacher turned “influencer” infantilizes the “white women for Kamala Harris” and suggests that white women should never “correct” black women. pic.twitter.com/uj00SfwZb9
— TENET Media (@watchTENETnow) July 29, 2024
“White Dudes for Kamala” then took up the mantle, premiering Monday night with a smorgasbord of celebrity Dems and Harris’ political allies.
While multiple participants in the call made sure to reiterate the fact that “everyone is welcome,” the three-and-a-half-hour fundraising call was a steady stream of white people. The event did actually feature a black man, the Director of the Working Families Party, Maurice Mitchell. But soon after him, even screen actor Bradley Whitford noted the concentration of the single racial group, calling them a “rainbow of beige.”
Other notable whites in attendance included legendary dude Jeff Bridges, Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff, singer Josh Groban and actor Josh Gad. (RELATED: ‘It’s Like A Rainbow Of Beige’: Hollywood Liberals, Political Elites Flock To ‘White Dudes For Harris’ Fundraiser)
Groban, while attending the event exclusively marketed to a single racial group, decried “the other side’s” politics as based on fear and against unity. He described the ideology of Harris’ opposition as “The idea that to celebrate the beauty of our similarities and the beauty of our differences is somehow a scary thing. That somehow equality and prosperity are not mutually exclusive.”
The event, which raised over $4 million for the campaign, also seemed to double as a Veepstakes addition, as a large swath of rumored VP candidates made their case for Harris. The call featured appearances from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, all rumored to be Vice President candidates, though Cooper publicly bowed out on Twitter minutes before his appearance.
