This week, 100 Black leaders from across the country will gather in Atlanta, Georgia from July 20-July 22 for the second annual Black Campaign School (BCS); the only national training of this nature specifically geared towards black candidates and campaign operatives running for office on the local, state, and federal level. The event is hosted by Collective Future, the 501c4 arm of The Collective PAC, which supports progressive black candidates running for office across the nation.
Several major Democratic organizations are sponsoring this effort, including Priorities USA Action, ActBlue, Planned Parenthood Action, the Black Economic Alliance, Onward Together, EMILY’s List, AFSCME, America Votes Action, Democracy For America, the National Democratic Training Committee, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
“We’re grateful that the major Democratic institutions are showing up in a real way for black progressive candidates by devoting their time, money, and resources to help build black political power through the Black Campaign School,” said Stefanie Brown James, Co-Founder of The Collective.
This has proven to be a historic election year for black candidates. Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’ win in May electrified the Democratic Party and progressives as she moves closer to becoming the nation’s first black woman governor in November. In addition, Deidre DeJear is the first African American to win a major party nomination in Iowa, and is poised to win the general election in November.
“The momentum should not end with Abrams’ and DeJear’s primary wins. We have a lot of work to do to bring about a Democratic ‘blue wave’ in November and it will take us working collectively to ensure that all communities are equally represented within the political process. This is why we created the Black Campaign School – to prepare a new cadre of candidates and political operatives ready to run for office and win,” said Quentin James, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Collective.
Registration is now closed at 100 attendees and includes current and prospective campaign operatives, current candidates and those interested in running for office. Registered attendees range from 20 years old to 76 years old, and span industries including college professors and leaders of state black caucuses to college interns and the airline industry. For more information about the BCS, click here.