In addition to that, this research ran alongside the seminar series, ‘Race and Gender in US Politics in Historical and Contemporary Perspective’. These seminars featured leading race and gender academics such Leah Wright-Rigueur who explored the “loneliness of the Black Republican” using Samuel R. Pierce Jr and the Housing and Urban Development Scandal of the 1980s to complicate the image of African Americans as purely involved in the Democratic party. Furthermore, this research was not limited to the US, but also examined the parallels between Black women politicians in the UK and the Caribbean.
Methodology
For this research, I relied primarily on secondary literature and archival sources. The main purposes of this was to initially identify key archives in the US for Dr Umoren to continue to build and gather data during her time there later in the year. I then collated and organised the secondary literature on Black women in politics into a bibliography which also highlighted some important primary data sources. After the UK general election in December 2019, I collated a table of all the Black women that have been involved in politics, both in the House of Commons and House of Lords in order to compare this to the US. For this, I spoke to and used data from Operation Black Vote (OBV). This was an interesting experience as I learnt a lot about their campaigns to educate more Black voters, increase young Black people’s exposure to politics through work experience and to increase the number of Black political candidates. For example, Marsha de Cordova, MP for Battersea is a graduate of OBV’s BME Women’s Councillor Scheme.
In addition to that, I visited the British Library to continue sourcing archival material and literature on Black female political candidates in both the UK and US. This experience was new to me but was one that I pleasantly enjoyed. I was fascinated by the number of sources that were available about the historic participation of Black women in US politics. However, I was equally disappointed by the lack of sources and literature on their UK counterparts. This may be because Black women had not traditionally participated in general elections until Dianne Abbott broke that barrier in 1987 by becoming the first Black woman to be elected to Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency.
Finally, I sourced multiple primary sources, including speeches, interviews and film clips around prominent Caribbean female politicians including Portia Simpson-Miller and Mia Mottley.
Results and some Conclusions
There are a lot of important conclusions to draw from this project. First, there is an expectation for Black female politicians to fit into a ‘box’. But this research has shown that they are politically complex and have differing motivations for their political participation. Therefore, the discourse on representation should reflect the diversity of both the candidate and the voter and should consider more than just race and gender, but also factors such as religion, class background and immigration.
In addition to that, this research has also revealed the different barriers to political involvement for Black women as well as the conditions unique to the UK, US and the Caribbean. For example, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman to be elected to the US Congress in 1968. In 1972, she became the first black candidate and woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Yet, the UK did not have its first black female MP until 1987 and there has only been a rise in the number of Black female MPs after 2019 General Election. Analysing this pattern further would reveal the unparalleled racism and sexism that Black politicians face.
Finally, when discussing the intersecting influence of race and gender on politics in the UK, US and the Caribbean, an interdisciplinary approach is needed. This is because of the multiple dynamics at play historically and in contemporary times such as the legacy of colonialism and immigration.
This research can be situated within Black Feminist literature as it ties together several black, radical and feminist movements.
My Personal Experience
I am very grateful to have worked with Dr Umoren on this project. I have personally found it very enriching and has given me a deeper understanding of the intersections between race, gender and politics. This is a topic that I have had personal and academic interest in during my time at LSE. Therefore, researching this topic and comparing the experiences of Black female politics in the UK, US and the Caribbean has developed my critical and analytical views on the subject.
Furthermore, the team at the US Centre have been very supportive in helping me to develop further skills. For example, I was given the opportunity to curate a series of video diaries about my experience as a Research Assistant, as well as to write a blog reviewing Dr Leah Wright-Rigueur’s lecture.
Please note that this report gives the views and findings of the Undergraduate Research Assistant, and may not necessarily reflect those of their faculty supervisor, the US Centre or the London School of Economics.