“If you would like the P.G. “If you want the P.G. version, it was Seriously? It’s another progressive white woman who claims to be in the your corner but only when it’s convenient for her,” stated Brice, a black woman running the Mississippi chapter of progressive group Pantsuit Nation. Brice wasn’t the only one. His supporters, many of which were black women like Brice and took to social media to express their anger at Hughes in the days following the state Rep. Jay Hughes’s vote. Hughes’ explanation, which emphasized white men like him rather than his core constituency, gave rise to new anger. Hughes posted a Facebook message explaining that his vote was a pragmatic decision to appeal to moderates while keeping white Democrats in power. “In a body that has 122 members, the Mississippi House only has 10 white Democrats left. Hughes sent a Facebook message to eight of his supporters, which was shared on Twitter. “Eight of us are moderates trying to avoid Republican goal of eliminating all White (Democrats)”, Hughes wrote. Laurie Bertram Roberts (executive director of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund), later stated to Mississippi Today that she had heard Hughes say that he knew that he had the votes and support of women of color. He voted to appeal the white moderates that weren’t in his side. Roberts stated that “he took our votes super for granted.” Roberts, as well as many other women speaking to Mississippi Today, felt the same way. It’s a disconnect with Jay, but also within the Democratic Party with the whole of the white vote. It’s white supremacy with progressive labels. There are many people who think they are allies with people of color. But when it comes to (lawmakers’) voting, they (they) don’t represent you,” Brice stated. Brice and others pointed out that this was a sign of a bigger problem: the perception that in Mississippi, no matter how strongly black women support it, its leaders are white men. “There is a belief that a Democrat cannot win (statewide), if it is a white man. This mentality has been promoted by white men and has been accepted for many decades,” Velesha P. Wilkins, a Jackson community activist seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said. Pam Shaw, a lobbyist, who also works on Democratic campaigns said that there was a long-standing understanding that African American women would support white front men of the party as long as they worked for issues black voters care about. “Black women are the heart of the work. In many cases, we do the work even without acknowledgment. Shaw stated that there has been a long-held belief that if you want your idea or plan to succeed, you need to tell a man. Hughes’ comments prompted her to add: “Well, now that we know that’s wrong.” Rukia Lumumba is the co-founder and chief executive of the Electoral Justice Project. She believes it’s time for a rethink of that strategy. White men are often not familiar with the issues they will be advocating for black voters. Mississippi has the highest rates of poverty, incarceration, infant and maternal deaths, with Mississippi being home to the majority of black communities. We have been exposed to many of the negative effects of poor policies and poor implementation. Lumumba stated that we are the most affected. Lumumba said, “We are the closest to the pain so it’s probably the most likely that we will find the solution.” Many advocates believe it’s now time for women who are at the heart of the party to become its face. Nationally black women were the key to some of the most notable Democratic victories. In 2017, the U.S. Senate special elections in Alabama, 98 per cent of black women voted to elect Doug Jones. Jones would have won if black women had voted as black men. Stacey Abrams, the first African-American woman to be nominated for governor by a major party in Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial election, made history. Propelled by an enthusiastic African American base that made up 60% of Georgia’s votes, she came within 55,000 votes to winning. “I think people are beginning to realize that not enough has been done. “I think people can look back at history and see that not enough has been done to change Mississippi’s trajectory,” Williams, the governor-candidate, laughed. “And so, if we want a change,” Williams said with a laugh. Recognizing that things must change is one thing. It is quite another to actually change them. Many women admit that the path to leadership in both the Democratic Party and the state is long and difficult. In modern times, no black person or woman has been elected to the Mississippi statewide office. Mississippi’s women, which make up more than half of the population, are underrepresented in state government. They hold only 14 percent of the state Legislature’s offices. Black women make up nearly 20% of the state’s population, but they only account for 6.7% of the Legislature. The Democratic party has black women making up 17 percent of its caucus, which is slightly better. Williams stated that she rejects the idea that white men are more popular. “People need to realize that 51 percent of the population is women. This is what people must understand. With 37 percent, African Americans in Mississippi have the highest proportion of black Americans in the U.S. This demonstrates how powerful our voting power is. “We can elect anyone we want to at anytime we want.” Hughes’ reply was shared on social media. Many of Hughes’ supporters responded that they were open to voting for someone else. They also suggested possible women candidates. Heather McTeer Toney was one of them. She is the ex-EPA administrator for the Southeast and first African American mayor of Greenville. Toney denied that Hughes could be successfully challenged. Hughes has been campaigning since last summer and is still actively campaigning with just two weeks to go before the qualifying deadline. She said that public anger over Hughes’ vote and his comments had already motivated people to plan for future elections. Toney stated, “I think it is a major moment.” Toney was referring to Hughes’ reaction to Hughes’ comments. “But this isn’t a local race you can run with $1,000. This is a major race. This is a major race. We should be careful about what we say and do, but also make a lot of notes. “Because 2021 and 2023 are both coming up, just as this is 2019. This is a great opportunity for us to begin looking at people who will be outstanding and start grooming them and elevating them into some of the positions. In 2019, Mississippi’s Democratic slate will feature two African American nominees in the state races. This marks the first time such a thing has occurred since 2003. Jennifer Riley Collins, executive Director of the Mississippi chapter American Civil Liberties Union and Johnny Dupree, former Hattiesburg mayor, are running for attorney-general and secretary-of-state, respectively. It remains to be seen if the state Democratic party will support these efforts. Bobby Moak, the Democratic Party chair, did not respond to requests for comment. Lumumba says that relying on the Mississippi Democratic Party is a mistake. Lumumba stated that black women have used the party as a tool and a way to push agendas that serve the community’s needs. Lumumba said, “I can speak for myself, as a black woman. I believe the Democratic Party is an excellent intervention tool but it is not necessarily the end-all-beall.” The first hurdle is to attract strong candidates. The second is to get strong support for them. Even black women elected to state offices are not as well-funded as their white counterparts. Black women in Mississippi make 56 cents for every dollar earned by white Mississippi men. The disparity in legislative campaigns is even more. According to Mississippi Today analysis, in 2015, eleven black female Democrats serving in the Mississippi Legislature raised only 47 cents per dollar from their white male Democratic counterparts. “I believe that often we are not well-resourced with financial and political support. We need to start organizing ourselves to demand more access to more resources, support and assistance. We shouldn’t have to be considered an exception in order to be elected. Lumumba stated that it should be the norm. It is difficult to emphasize the importance of black Democrats and particularly black women in promoting Democratic candidates as well as progressive policies that have gained traction in a conservative state such Mississippi. During last year’s legislative session, one of these policies, equal-pay, gained momentum briefly. The most affected group is black women who earn just half the income of white men. However, the wage gap affects all Mississippi women. They make an average of 76cs for every dollar that white men earn. Mississippi and Alabama are the two states without an equal pay law. Both Democrats and Republicans tried to pass one. The real momentum has been created by black female legislators and black women on ground. After a second round of equal pay bills failed to get out of committee in February 2018, Rep. Alyce Clegge (D-Jackson) introduced an equal pay amendment for a minimum wage bill. This amendment passed the House with a large margin. Cassandra Welchin (director of the Mississippi Women’s Economic Security Initiative) kept the conversation going by organizing a rally at the Capitol on the wage gap last month after the bill was killed. “Look at the people who do the work of Mississippi Democratic Party on the ground. Who’s organizing? Who is knocking on doors outside? Roberts stated that it was black women. Toney said that black women are uniquely equipped to raise funds for their candidates because they have had the experience of organizing for candidates and causes. Because they have done it for other candidates. They are experts in this field. It’s now about helping other women.”