Donna Brazile, in the keynote address for this year’s Women of Color Leadership Conference, praised women of color for refusing to give up or give in to the forces trying to hold them back.
Brazile, a longtime Democratic Party leader, also encouraged the members of her virtual audience to keep using their voices to further the dream of a just, inclusive America.
In an address rich in cultural, historical and culinary references, Brazile said America was strengthened by its diversity and needed to include everyone to be at its best. She said women of color put the “Still” in this year’s conference theme, “Still We Rise.” And she likened women of color to the roux in gumbo, binding everything together and giving the dish spice and body. Without the roux, she said, there’s no gumbo. “It’s just soup.”
Brazile also paid homage to Kansas City, saying its communities of color had made vital contributions to American culture, from barbecue to “Charlie Parker’s saxophone.” And she praised the Black entrepreneurs who turned the 18th and Vine area into a vital district long ago, including the Gem Theater and the stadium for the Kansas City Monarchs of Negro Leagues Baseball fame.
She also remarked on the Kansas City community’s courage a century ago and wondered how its members must have felt when they learned of the massacre that occurred not so far away in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She marveled at 107-year-old Viola Fletcher, a survivor who as a 7-year-old fled the Tulsa massacre with her family.
In the past, Brazile said, she has been inspired by seeing Fletcher testify before Congress and believing in a promising future for all Americans. On Tuesday, Brazile said, she was inspired to see Fletcher with President Biden in Tulsa at the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the tragedy.
Brazile also drew on words that have encouraged her, including:
“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”
— Madeline Albright, former secretary of state
“Our role is to dream a better world and to work courageously to make that dream possible.”
— Isabel Allende, author and activist
“Don’t doubt what you know.”
— Kerry Washington, actress and producer
And in her own words, Brazile summed up, “Together, we are strong, powerful and daring to make a positive difference.”
Also on the program for the day were panel discussions on mental health and on solidarity among women of color; Danielle Metz, a former prison inmate whose humanitarian efforts include helping incarcerated girls and women; and ballerina Karen Brown, who spoke on the importance of movement for good health and led an interactive session.