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Sep 29, 2023
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Black Women’s Roundtable Statement on Laphonza Butler's Historic U.S. Senate Appointment
Washington, D.C. (Sept 29, 2023) - The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and Black Women’s Roundtable congratulates Laphonza Butler on her appointment to the U.S. Senate by CA Governor Gavin Newsom. In this new role, she joins a lineage of pioneering Black women like Carol Moseley Braun, who was the first African American woman elected to the Senate in 1992, and Vice President Kamala Harris, who served prior to her current role in the Biden-Harris Administration. With this appointment, Butler further distinguishes herself as the first openly LGBTQ+ Black woman to serve in the Senate – helping to create a government that more accurately looks, feels, and represents the true diversity of the United States.
Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, states “Our country is at a critical juncture, where the rights and freedoms of so many of our communities are under direct attack. The significance of having a Black woman with lived experience in the U.S. Senate is paramount – not only for our communities but for the entire nation. Black women like Laphonza Butler, Carol Moseley Braun, and Kamala Harris embody our nation's progress and their leadership is crucial in ensuring our rights are protected and that future generations see themselves in a government that is supposed to represent them.
We will always advocate for a Senate that reflects the diversity of America and champions the voices, rights, and freedoms of Black women. This is a celebratory day and we hope this appointment opens the door even further for Black women to run, be elected and serve at all levels of government.”
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The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) is one of the most active civil rights and social justice organizations in the nation “dedicated to increasing civic engagement, economic and voter empowerment in Black America.” The Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) is the women and girls’ empowerment arm of the NCBCP. At the forefront of championing just and equitable public policy on behalf of Black women, BWR promotes their health and wellness, economic security & prosperity, education and global empowerment as key elements for success.
