Good afternoon from #SheThePeople in Houston- the first ever presidential forum by and for women of color. Eight candidates will speak. #ff @shaqbrewster & @alivitali – we’ve got it covered. pic.twitter.com/lbxoznvGS5
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) April 24, 2019
Sounds like this was quite the EVENT!
The forum will feature 8 declared Democratic candidates: Sens. Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro.
— Mónica Rhor (@monicarhor) April 24, 2019
To clarify:#SheThePeople had a hard cap of eight candidates for today's forum. The eight you saw today were first to respond to invites.
You shouldn't read anything more into it than that.— Leah D. Daughtry (@LeahDaughtry) April 24, 2019
So many of the badass women in my life are in Houston for #SheThePeople and seeing how excited everyone is for the first ever WOC presidential forum is inspiring. Women of color are the backbone of the Democratic party and its about time we started acting like it. pic.twitter.com/bfKPqk0DnF
— Charlie Bonner (@CharlieKBonner) April 24, 2019
Patrick Svitek, for the Texas Tribune:
… Appearing at Texas Southern University, a historically black college, eight candidates made their pitches at a forum hosted by She the People, a national network of women of color. The three-hour event was one of the biggest gatherings of the Democratic primary candidates yet, let alone in Texas.
Taking questions from moderators and the audience, the candidates covered a range of issues that have already animated the primary — health care, criminal justice and voting rights — while sharpening their cases for how those issues impact women of color. The massive 2020 field is historically diverse, and most participants faced the same question at the end of their time onstage: Why should women of color choose you?…
For some candidates — particularly those who are neither women nor people of color — the forum at times appeared to be a humbling experience. The other hopeful from Texas, Beto O’Rourke, paused before answering why women of color should back him, acknowledging that their support is “not something that I’m owed, not something that I expect” but “something that I fully hope to earn by the work that I do on the campaign trail.” He cited a number of prominent black women in politics that he has learned from — including Houston U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a fellow Democrat who has a bill to study reparations that O’Rourke and several other candidates support…
Regardless, the day was a boon for Texas Democrats who increasingly view the state as a battleground. As he left the forum, state party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said the event — with its number of candidates and early timing in the primary — was unlike anything he has seen in his 35 years in Texas Democratic politics.
“One of the things that came out of this event today is a recognition — [one] that people who have been involved in politics have known about for a long time — that women of color deliver [a] large number of votes for the Democratic candidates in every election cycle,” Hinojosa said. “That number’s increasing significantly over the years. In the last election cycle, they delivered big time for Democratic candidates. They’re more energized, engaged and angry today than they’ve ever been before.”
Not surprisingly, one candidate started with an extra edge…
Three women of color take the stage. One of whom could be our next president. Two who are moderators. 1000+ women of color watch – they don't just watch – they participate. #SheThePeople2020
This is herstory. pic.twitter.com/8PtNLUJCbF
— She the People (@_shethepeople) April 24, 2019
Thursday Morning Open Thread: #SheThePeoplePost + Comments (145)