The long-awaited Alabama special election is finally over, and as you probably know by now, Doug Jones was declared the victor.
After CNN posted the exit polls and broke voter turnout down by race and gender, it was clear who came out to represent in the voting booths for the Democrats … again.
The 7 most revealing findings in the Alabama exit polls https://t.co/mdFDdFf24E pic.twitter.com/wjrAdyX7Ms— CNN (@CNN) December 13, 2017
That's right, a whopping 98 percent of black women voted for Democratic candidate Doug Jones. Black people showed up and showed out. Black men came in for Jones at 93 percent but in keeping with history, black women led the fight.
Black women when they left the voting booths in Alabama: pic.twitter.com/pOHefqxAhc
— Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) December 13, 2017
After the votes-by-race results were revealed, many jumped on social media to thank black women for their efforts:
Omg if Doug Jones has actually won. God bless black women. God bless black women for saving us. I'm crying.
— Jessi Klein (@jessirklein) December 13, 2017
You all need to thank the real heroes! The black women who got out there and voted! #DougJones
pic.twitter.com/M4d6dF5uOn— Erica ⛄️ (@Swish_AndFlick) December 13, 2017
Dear Black Women and Men of Alabama,
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.— Sarah Schechter (@SarahSoWitty) December 13, 2017
I’m definitely ready for that. I said a prayer the other day and when God answered me back she was a Black Woman. https://t.co/8e0mdRoj5o— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) December 13, 2017
While verbal gratitude is all well and good, taking action to show said gratitude is much, much better.
As always, we're here to help. If you truly appreciate black women, here are a few things you can do to better show it:
1. Hire Black Women
It's no secret that there's a racial disparity
across nearly every industry. Change that by hiring some black women. And we're not talking about token roles. Hire more black women in executive roles (and not just to clean up after a white, male CEO who's messed things up) so that they can make the decisions that will lead to a truly diverse workplace.
2. Pay Black Women Equally
White women usually lead the gender wage gap conversation, but we can't note enough that the gap is even wider when it comes to black women. Right now, black women in the United States have to work 14 months to make what white women doing the same job make in 12, and 19 months to make what their white male counterparts make in 12. To make matter worse, new data suggest that the gap is getting worse.
3. Elect Black Women
If black women can make this much of a difference in the voting booths, imagine if our senators and representative (AND OUR PRESIDENT) were sprinkled with more black girl magic?!
4. Donate To Black Women
There are so many non-profit organizations dedicated to black women and girls. We are systematically hit with a double whammy in regards to our gender and race (a triple whammy for those that are part of the LGBTQ community), so these types of organizations are essential to our growth and glo-up.
Don't know where to start? Maybe check out Kaepernick-endorsed
Assata's Daughters in Chicago!
5. Stick Up For Black Women
Black women are routinely asked to fight for women's rights, but all too often hear crickets when we need help on an issue specific to black women. Do the uncomfortable: yell just as loud when a black woman is bearing the brunt of some wrongdoing as you do when a white women is wronged, even if it means chastising your own whiteness.
These are just a few tangible things you can do to show how thankful you are for black women.
Support them, nurture them and lift them up. Black girls most surely rock … and it's time everyone properly honors that!
