Amplifying Black Women’s Electoral Power And Celebrating International Domestic Workers Day and Juneteenth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2023
Contact: Daniela Perez, [email protected]
The GOTV efforts will mobilize voters in Virginia to support Care in Action endorsed candidates former Del. Lashrecse Aird for State Senate and Destiny Levere Bolling (HD-80) and Rae Cousins (HD-79) for House of Delegates. This mobilization is part of Care in Action’s $1 million investment in Virginia.
VIRGINIA – As part of its $1 million investment in Virginia, Care in Action – the national policy and advocacy home for 2.5 million domestic workers – will hold Get Out the Vote efforts in Virginia on June 17 and June 18. Black domestic workers from Georgia, New York, and North Carolina will travel to Virginia and mobilize voters, particularly Black women voters, to demonstrate support for former Del. Lashrecse Aird for State Senate and Rae Cousins (HD-79) and Destiny Levere Bolling (HD-80) for House of Delegates.
These GOTV efforts coincide with International Domestic Workers Day and Juneteenth, showcasing the collective power of Black women and emphasizing the importance of domestic workers’ political participation. Furthermore, Care in Action seeks to demonstrate Black women’s electoral power and organizing capabilities in the greater Richmond area.
By rallying voters and organizing support for candidates committed to advancing a robust care agenda, they exemplify how Black women, especially Black domestic workers, lead our country forward.
Hillary Holley, Executive Director of Care in Action, said:
“Black women have long been at the forefront of this country’s social, economic, labor, and political change. We carry the weight of our ancestors’ struggles and persistently fight for justice, equity, and recognition. Virginia is at a critical moment where voters have the power to vote for leaders that will protect abortion access in the South and also pass policies that will lead to a robust care infrastructure to both ease economic constraints and provide the support workers need. We know what’s at stake, and we’re excited to do all we can to support the strong, diverse bench of care candidates Aird, Bolling, and Cousins. Each of these leaders has a unique understanding of the challenges faced by women of color and domestic workers, in particular.
While our commitment to electing candidates that center domestic workers, caregivers, and people of color in their policy decisions involves a historic $1 million investment, we are fighting for the invaluable – a country with a robust care agenda.
Virginia is home to a vibrant community of 60,000 house cleaners, nannies, and care workers who tirelessly contribute to the well-being of families across the state. These dedicated individuals, alongside unpaid caregivers and women of color, depend on a government committed to delivering results for working people. We refuse to settle for empty promises or the status quo. It is time for a transformative shift that acknowledges the value of our labor, the importance of caregiving, and the strength of Black women in shaping our society.
These current GOTV efforts, falling uniquely between International Domestic Workers Day and Juneteenth, demonstrate the historic organizing power held by Black domestic workers. From house cleaners to nannies and care workers to unpaid caregivers, our strength lies in our unity. Our message to Virginia and the nation is clear: we are here, we are united, and we will no longer be ignored. The time for complacency and indifference is over. Together, we possess the power to redefine the political landscape and shape a future that prioritizes the well-being and rights of working families.”
As Care in Action continues to advocate for women who care, it recognizes that Virginia is a critical state at risk of losing abortion access and holds the key to becoming a pro-care majority state. The care agenda – paid leave, childcare, pre-K, aging and disability care, and good jobs and wages for those providing care – has majoritarian support. Still, it has not yet been shaped into a winning issue. Candidates Aird, Bolling, and Cousins are care champions who, through their own experience and legislation, have understood the unique challenges domestic workers and caregivers face in Virginia.
The $1 million investment in Virginia includes funding for full-time staff, 20 paid organizers, and a canvassing program averaging 10 shifts per day on the ground in 3 key districts in Richmond and Prince William, in addition to regrants to ally organizations to ensure Virginia’s progressive ecosystem is able to scale in these historical races. These investments have led to having over 9,000 conversations with women of color, 97% of whom are infrequent voters.
This convergence of International Domestic Workers Day, Juneteenth, and the GOTV efforts in Virginia presents a unique opportunity to celebrate the resilience and achievements of Black women while focusing on pressing issues affecting their communities. By highlighting the efforts of Care in Action and the dedicated domestic workers traveling from different states, this event underscores the urgent need for a robust care agenda and urges voters to support candidates who share these priorities.
In the 2021 cycle in Virginia, voters elected 11 of Care in Action’s 14 endorsed candidates for House of Delegates in the general election. That year, Care in Action’s voter contact program made nearly half a million voter contact attempts via a combination of door-to-door canvassing and phone banking.
Care in Action is the policy and advocacy home for women who care, working on behalf of more than two million domestic workers and care workers across America. Among the fastest-growing sectors in our economy, domestic workers are also among the most vulnerable and undervalued. As a mostly women and majority women of color workforce, this growing constituency consistently and overwhelmingly supports progressive values in American political life. Learn more at www.careinaction.us.