When an exhausted presidential candidate Barack Obama finally rolled into Greenwood, South Carolina, the 2007 campaign had taken its toll. So when he arrived at the Greenwood Civic Center-- soaked from a driving rain—he was disappointed to see only a few dozen people. He’d been on the road for an hour and half and now simply wanted to get it over with. But Edith Childs would have none of it. From behind him —her church hat on her head--she pumped up the crowd and the candidate—in what became the campaign’s rallying cry. “Fired Up”, Edith chanted, “Ready to Go!” The bedraggled Obama found himself lifted up by Child’s determined enthusiasm.
Millions of other Edith Childs were also the wind beneath his wings – 68 percent of black women voters put him in office in 2008 and 70 percent returned him to office in 2012. Black women have been his most loyal constituency. But, some of these devoted supporters are speaking out about feeling cheated because the President nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. Garland was the only white man on his shortlist. Also on the shortlist, two women and three minorities, including Kentanji Brown Jackson, US District Judge in Washington.
To be clear—those who’ve been vocal about Garland’s nomination say their protest is not a slam against Garland. Most agree he’s imminently qualified, a dedicated public servant. But, as the Founder of the Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women complained, President Obama ignored many equally first rate black women. Avis Jones DeWeever, called Merrick’s nomination “an absolute slap in the face to his top supporters.” Terry O’ Neill, the President of National Organization for Women, also expressed disappointment, saying it was “unfortunate,” that “We have to continue to wait for the first African- American woman to be named.”
President Obama defended his choice in an interview with NPR’s Nina Totenberg pointing to his Supreme Court appointments of “two women, one Hispanic” saying in each case, “the good news is that I appointed the person who I absolutely thought was the best person for the job. In this case, Merrick Garland is the best person for the job.”
His response rings hollow for black women who have taken this personally, one saying simply, “It hurts.” Others have announced that while they will not publicly oppose Garland’s nomination, they will not pull out all the stops to support him, either.
Democratic party leaders should hope that their anger will pass. If the party wants the reliable black women voters to take them to the White House again, they need to recognize and respect them just like any other powerful constituency. Because right now, black women are fired up, but not so ready to go. Somebody better call Edith Childs.
