Facing a strong challenge from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for the Democratic presidential nomination, former U.S. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the support of more than 170 African American women on Wednesday including some from the Sunshine State.
Expecting Sanders to be strong in the New Hampshire primary next week, Clinton’s team announced they will be dispatching some of the African American women to South Carolina which holds its primary later in the month. Chelsea Clinton will also hit the Palmetto State to stump for her mother.
LaDavia Drane, Clinton’s director of African American outreach, stressed her candidate’s ties to that community.
“Hillary Clinton has been fighting for African American women and girls her entire career – and she’s not going to stop now,” Drane said on Wednesday. “Hillary knows the reality of women earning less than men, confronting barriers to advancing in the workforce, and politicians interfering with a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions is even starker for African American women. As president, she’ll implement the right policies to lift us up and move us forward. Hillary is a friend to the African American community and we’re excited that these respected women leaders will campaign for her in the weeks to come.”
Two Democrats in the Florida congressional delegation--Congresswomen Corrine Brown and Frederica Wilson--were part of Clinton’s new group. So was Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin whose shooting in Central Florida in a “stand your ground” case generated national attention. Florida Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, is also part of the group.
The group also includes former members of the Clinton administration including former U.S. Labor Sec. Alexis Herman, congressional Democrats like U.S. Reps. Shelia Lee Jackson of Texas and Maxine Waters of California, entertainers like actresses Angela Bassett and Vivica Fox and leaders of the business community including Ursula Burns, the CEO of Xerox.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
