Not a “sorority party”: black sororities in defense of themselves and Kamala Harris

2025/06/02 by Aisha A. Upton Azzam · 1 voice · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #South Asian Cinema and Culture #Race, History, and American Society #Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies

paper · doi:10.1080/01419870.2025.2507694

openalex publication_date 2025/06/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15

Abstract

In this piece, I contend that Black sororities were instrumental in Kamala Harris’s run for Vice President in 2020 and her 2024 presidential campaign. I argue that although, as non-profit organizations, the sororities could not formally endorse Harris – they engaged in racial uplift as they created political action committees (PACs) for the Harris campaigns and pushed for members to take part in mobilizing voters in Black communities. Additionally, I assert that news sources covering the campaigns reveal that as Harris faced an onslaught of misogynoir from Donald Trump and the religious right – Black sororities responded through statements that reflected that they were not only arguing in defense of Harris, but also in defense of themselves.

Citations

• The 2024 U.S. presidential election & the politics of race: responding to a moment of crisis with analysis, insight & action

Cited by

• From Barack Obama to Donald Trump: understanding the arc of twenty-first century presidential elections through the lens of white racial selfhood, white racial rhetoric, and racialised emotions

Discussions

• #ERSNew #SpecialIssue 🐣🔓 Author contends that Black sorority members acted as "race women" who, when Harris was attacked by opponents and allies alike, came not only to her defense - but came out in [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]