With a woman of color on the Democratic ticket, progressives seem to have slipped back into their most cringe-worthy habits: performative allyship and race essentialism. It’s like the new political landscape is all about staging digital segregation.
After President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed Kamala Harris, a group of Black women orchestrated an epic Zoom call with 44,000 participants and raised $1.5 million. The following day, Black men hosted a similar call. Watching this, Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, wondered, “When will white women step up?”
With no white women in sight, Watts took to Twitter and issued a challenge. She was quickly overwhelmed with support. Alongside Glennon Doyle and other activists, Watts organized the “White Women: Answer the Call” event. It was the largest Zoom call ever, boasting over 200,000 attendees. The aim? To prevent this significant voter bloc from voting Republican, as they’ve done historically.
Celebrity guests like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Connie Britton joined in, with Britton humorously labeling the participants “Karens for Kamala.” Even P!nk appeared from her private jet, proving that saving woke democracy is best done at 30,000 feet. The call was so popular it crashed Zoom, prompting Watts to tweet, “Kamala just broke Zoom again,” while some had to catch the action on YouTube.
In just 90 minutes, they raised $8.5 million and energized crucial voters. But the event wasn’t without its critics, who condemned the focus on such a privileged group.
Politics by strict affinity groups isn’t just cringe—it’s a showcase of “regressiveness and reductionism.” The #KHive’s new plan seems to involve hosting Zoom pep rallies divided by ethnicity and gender.
And let’s not forget the “White Dudes for Harris,” complete with Pete Buttigieg and trucker-cap merch. There are grassroots events for South Asians, Latina women, and Black men. Targeting specific demographics isn’t new, but this isn’t about building coalitions.
It’s as if rugged individualism and free thought are being swapped for neatly checked boxes on a census form. Real people, regardless of race or creed, want intellectual rigor, meaningful discussion, and adult disagreements, not to be silenced like kids in a segregated classroom. If this is the campaign’s direction, it doesn’t inspire confidence for a Harris presidency.
