“One of the things I hear from women about running for office is, ‘I don't want to be criticized.’ And I say ‘They’re going to criticize you if you do it. They're going to criticize you if you don't do it. And wouldn't it be better to be doing something and to have them talk about you? To be making change and have them talk about you? To be passing bills that are going to do good and have them talk about you?’”
A’shanti Gholar is the president of Emerge, an organization dedicated to recruiting and training Democratic women to run for office in America. For over 15 years, A’shanti has been a grassroots organizer and an activist on behalf of women and communities of color and progressive causes. She is a nationally recognized political strategist and worked as a political appointee in the Obama administration and also for the Democratic National Committee.
A’shanti is also the founder of the Brown Girls Guide to Politics, an award winning podcast that was featured as one of the top political podcasts by Time Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Vanity Fair.
What you’ll find in this conversation:
She talks about how she was interested in politics as a little girl, and why she chose CSPAN over Sesame Street.
The teacher she credits with encouraging her to use her voice.
A standoff with a politician when she was a high school senior and how that turned her into to volunteer.
The impact of not being seeing women who look like her in politics.
What she counsels women running for office to do about criticism — internal and external.
Her experience leading Emerge and the work that she does to put women in office.
How she handles racism and sexism; her bizarre experience being on the hot seat on CSPAN.
How she looks to the shine theory as a way to strengthen sisterhood.
For more inspiring conversations like this one, be sure you’re a subscriber to my Substack, Playing With Fire.
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