California Black Women Coalition for #KeepTheSeat Demand Governor Newsom to Appoint a Black Woman for the US Senate

Marie Lemelle, MBA – California Black Women Coalition for #KeepTheSeat

Governor Gavin Newsom,

Like a modern-day Harriet Tubman, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris kicked opened the door to claim a seat at the U.S. Senate table. Her legacy is to lead more Black women to the table who will represent a forgotten but strong California population.  It is no surprise that women are already underrepresented in the U.S. Senate; and that is unacceptable. California should continue to buck the trend and send a Black woman to the U.S. Senate.

Historically, Black women are blatantly excluded from leadership roles. Kamala Harris, the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate, changed the game for us and proved that a Black woman is invaluable to the progression of California and our Nation. Let’s not forget that Black women voted in record numbers to deliver a victory to Democrats and our country.

Far too often the work and sacrifices of Black women go unrecognized and undervalued. We urge you to honor and embrace the hard work and determination that Kamala Harris and Black women have forged through to keep California strong.  We earned the right to #KeeptheSeat and will continue to fight to never give up our seat to represent all people but especially the largest population in the State of California.

December 1 marked the 65^th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat.  Her right to keep her seat was a symbol of will power and the right to claim a prominent place in this world. We are ready to repeat the historic and courageous move that Ms. Parks made to demand respect and inclusion. She stood her ground without a coalition of Black women by her side.

Today, Black women from across the Nation are in full force to stand beside U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37) and U.S. Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and fight for them to be the right choice to fill the seat.  Don’t mute the Black woman’s voice. 

We live the values of gender equality, fairness, community, diversity, and authenticity that are essential to strong leadership. We ask that you do not overlook our progressive leaders Bass and Lee to carry the torch lit by Kamala Harris.

There is no doubt that Bass and Lee are ready to take on the challenges and issues that face Californians.  They have the experience and the relationships to step in Kamala Harris’ shoes and step up to the table with confidence and determination. They know how to get the work done in Congress while advocating for the needs of Californians.

This is our time, and we are staking our claim to the seat that Kamala Harris earned with the support of

Black women.  We are the backbone of the democratic party, both as voters and organizers. Diversity in our leaders is the core to who we are in California. Together, we benefit from a variety in experiences and perspectives.

We know that both Bass and Lee are leaders that we can trust and depend on in crisis. That said, we deserve to maintain our representation in the U.S. Senate. Governor Newsom, we urge you to hear us and appoint Bass or Lee to the seat.

It’s time to deliver for us.

• Email appointment person https://bit.ly/KeepTheSeat  (NATIONAL)
• Email Gavin Newsom directly: bearebel.us/KeeptheSeat (CALIFORNIA ONLY)
• Tweet at Gavin Newsom: https://p2a.co/IxDRtVX

California Black Women Coalition for #KeepTheSeat

Hon. Donesia Gause-Aldana  Carson            Hon. Sydney Kamlager-Dove  Los Angeles    Hon. Deborah Robertson     Rialto Hon. Aja Brown                         Compton        Hon. Lula Davis-Holmes           Carson             Hon. Emma Sharif            Compton       Hon. Cheryl Brown                   Sacramento     Hon. Yvonne Horton                 Inglewood     Hon. Diane Watson     Los Angeles Hon. Autumn Burke                Los Angeles      Hon. Holly J. Mitchell               Los  Angeles   Hon. Shirley Weber       San Diego Hon. Michelle Chambers        Compton          Hon. Treva Reid                        Oakland           Hon. Lori Wilson           Suisun City Melina Abdullah            Los Angeles Aimee Allison                  Oakland Bobbiejean Anderson  Moreno Valley Ebani Anderson              Los Angeles Niele Anderson              Los Angeles Joy Atkinson                    Los Angeles Sheila Baker                   Bellflower Kim Ballard                      Lancaster Sabrina Benson             Rialto Vicki Blakley                   Sacramento Charlotte Bland             Los Angeles Sheila Brown                  Los Angeles Taisha Brown                 San Diego Tonya Burke                   Perris April Burton                    Compton Velma Butler                  Pasadena  Barbara Calhoun           Compton Darla Carpool                 Los Angeles Jasmyne Cannick           Los Angeles Sandi Cook                       Los Angeles Lori Cordinus                   Orange Maureen Craft                Elk Grove Karen Earl                         Los Angeles Nolice Edwards               Sacramento Kimberly Ellis                    Richmond Dionne Faulk                    Inglewood Nourbese Flint                Los Angeles Norma Foree                   Long Beach Carolyn Fowler                 Inglewood Dallas Fowler                    Los Angeles Gail Francis                        Lake Elsinore Tresla Gilbreath               Sacramento Glenda Gill                        Los Angeles Angela Gipson                  Inglewood Le Cresha K. Gipson        Carson            Wendy Gladney               Upland Alice Goff                           Los Angeles Gloria Gray                       Inglewood Sharon Guest                   Los Angeles Kellie Hawkins                 Los Angeles Jacqueline Hawthorne   Los Angeles Nichelle Henderson        Gardena Ingrid Hutt                        Los Angeles Danielle Hollis               Burbank lona Hendrick               Los Angeles Patsy Howard               Los Angeles Cine Ivery                       Inglewood Andrea Jackson            Los Angeles Jannell Jackson            Sacramento Joan Jackson                 Los Angeles Adrienne Johnson       Pasadena Rachel Johnson           Gardena Deidre Jones                Long Beach Rev. Dr. Joy Johnson  Antelope Laniece Jones              Oakland Holland Jordan           Castro Valley Angela King                 Los Angeles Marie Y. Lemelle         Glendale Bennetra Lewis           Lancaster Alicia Lewis                 Los Angeles Arnetta Mack              Inglewood Natasha Marshall       Inglewood Phyllis Marshall           Sacramento Ronnie Martin             Los Angeles Tamry McCauley         Santa Clarita Tina McKinnor             Hawthorne Tonia Mc Millian          Bellflower Dewanda Mitchell      San Bernardino Tracy Mitchell              Pasadena Tamela Mitchell          Pasadena Pamela Mitchell          Pasadena Sarah Morris                Adelanto

Shenia Morris              Victorville

Gloria Myles                 Los Angeles

Ingrid Palmer               Los Angeles

Ann Perkins                  San Bernardino

Sharon Polk                   Los Angeles

Sandra Poole                Sacramento

Angela Reddock           Carson

Lenee Richards             Los Angeles

Audrena Redmond      Long Beach

Diane Robertson          Los Angeles

Rosa Russell                  Los Angeles

Patt Sanders                 Inglewood

Jamie Scott                    Inglewood

Andrea Slater                  Vallejo

Dolores Spears                Los Angeles

Brianna Spratt                 Irvine

Jasmine Stanley               Los Angeles

Tiffani Stone                     Elk Grove

Novell Thompson            Fontana

Gloria Gray                       Inglewood

Anette Walker                 Hayward

Jackie Washington          Hawthorne

Molly Watson                   Los Angeles

Denise Watts                   Canyon Country

Daphne Wayans              Tarzana

Yvonne Wheeler              Long Beach

Wanza Tolliver                  Los Angeles

Kathy Williamson             Los Angeles

Katrina Williams                Long Beach

K. Patrice Williams           Vallejo

Wanda F. Williams            Sacramento

Gail Willis                              Los Angeles

Lolita Willis                           Long Beach

Ethell Woods                      Los Angeles

Jimmy Woods Gray            Los Angeles

Rashina Young                     Carson

Melanie Young                     Long Beach

Tiffani Stone Alvidez           Elk Grove

Jacque Robinson-Baisley    Pasadena

Shay Franco-Clausen           San Jose

Lola Smallwood Cuevas       Los Angeles

Julia Cooksey-Evans             NorthridgeCheryl Lanier Gates             San Francisco

Kellie Todd-Griffin                Carson

Dezie Woods-Jones              Madera

Kendra Noel Lewis                 Sacramento

Patrice Marshall McKenzie   Pasadena

Pamela Bright-Moon             Los Angeles

Eva Hoffman-Murray             Bellflower

Pastor Thembeklia Smart     Los Angeles

Roslyn Austin Stewart           Los Angeles

L’Toya Wheeler Tate              Corona

Charisse Bremond Weaver   Pasadena