‘The Colored Girls’ Understood The Assignment As VP Harris Fought For Democratic Nomination

The Colored Girls said because they understood the rules, "no one" was going around Vice President Harris, "Period."

“The Colored Girls” understand how to move the chess pieces in politics. Thanks to the contributions of a group of iconic Black women political strategists, Vice President Kamala Harris was able to attain the Democratic presidential nomination.

“…That’s what the vice president had the benefit of — we understood the rules,” 2024 DNC Committee Chair Minyon Moore told MSNBC‘s Joy Reid in an exclusive interview. No one was going around Vice President Harris at the point when President Joe Biden decided he wouldn’t be moving forward in the 2024 presidential race, “Period,” the women agreed.

For decades, the women have worked together to help shape American politics, and according to Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, “anyone inside the Democratic Party…who decided to put their hat in the ring had to have dinner with the Colored Girls.” The women previously spoke with President Biden about their thoughts on Vice President Harris, what she represents, and the value she brings to the ticket. Brazile shared that all dinners with “The Colored Girls” are off the record, and the women still maintain lasting friendships with several individuals who sought out the presidential seat.

The Colored Girls thanked the president for supporting Vice President Harris as she assumed her position in the 2024 presidential race. However, the women credited the forward movement of American politics to the contributions of political and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, who the women came up under. “I learned almost everything I knew from him,” said Yolanda Caraway, founder of The Caraway Group, who was moved to tears when Jackson was brought on stage during night one of the Democratic National Convention.

Tina Flournoy, former chief of staff to Vice President Harris, acknowledged Jackson’s contributions as a party insider. “Once he got inside and opened the door, he made sure the door stayed open for everybody else,” she said. “The number of Black people who became members of the DNC because of something that he negotiated led to all of us being involved in the DNC.” Rev. Leah Daughtry, CEO of the 2008 and 2016 DNC Committees, reflected on the first presidential campaign she helped run in parts of New Hampshire for Jackson after he guided her into the process as a student.

The women also recognized other Black women trailblazers who paved the way, like Coretta Scott King, Hazel Dukes, Cicely Tyson, and Maya Angelou. Daughtry mentioned service as a key factor for The Colored Girls. “We were there to serve, and we still are,” she said.

According to their published book “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics,” the women have worked on presidential campaigns for Jackson, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Read more about the women’s journeys and their contributions to politics.