**UPDATE 2. I’m not surprised at the reactions of some here — I anticipated as much. The reason why I left the strikeouts in is that I didn’t want anyone who read the diary as originally written to accuse me of writing a bait diary. In the update, I explained what happen — a website who picked up the original interview incorrectly attributed Ms. Sanders’ statements. Literally within 3 minutes after I posted the diary, I saw Ms. Sanders’ tweets come across my timeline and I immediately changed the title of this diary and subsequently updated the diary contents AND I posted in the comment field Ms. Sanders’ tweets — a straight cut and paste of 5 tweets because I didn’t want to waste any time in correcting the record.
Now. I’m not a front pager and I’m not Shaun King. I don’t post that many diaries and I’ve probably written more this year alone than have since I’ve joined Daily Kos. Many of my diaries don’t even hit the rec list.
But anyone reading my diaries should already know that I don’t write on stories and make up stuff. The information in this diary was incorrect and I made the corrections swifty. That is what a responsible person does.
All of that set aside, the takeaway from this diary is unchanged — let me repeat it for you here:
While we have witnessed history last week with the nomination of a woman to represent a major political party for President of the United States, our society needs to work on expanding and stretching our collective consciousness to view any position of importance, power and authority as something that anyone — regardless of their sex or skin color is capable of having without needed to be facially familiar before they are believed.
We need to work on this.
Still.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I first saw this story come across my twitter TL, I just thought it was about her experiences with folk on the campaign trail. Upon reading the interview on Lenny, it was with staffers representing the Sanders’ campaign at the venues booked for Senator Sanders (see update).
To be clear, the entire interview isn’t about these experiences, but it is also clear that there are still ceilings to break with respect to certain positions that women of color play in national political campaigns:
Symone Sanders: Everywhere I went, I was "Symone D. Sanders (no relation)." I didn't know that was going to become my tagline, but it did, and I mostly thought it was funny. Once I was doing a radio interview, remotely, and the commentator said, "I'm here with Symone Sanders. She is not related to the senator, and I know that because I met her." I just replied, "For everyone out there listening, he said that because I'm black." I was like, "It's OK, the senator is my brother in the movement, and that's why I'm here today."…
“...People were often very surprised when I introduced myself to them and they learned my role in the campaign. That's OK, because I am happy to jump up and demonstrate that black girls are spokeswomen, too. I, too, belong in this space. One would think that in 2016 we wouldn't have to jump up and say those kinds of things, but it still needs to be done.
The reason I had my opportunity is because of folks like Donna Brazile, who was the first African American woman to lead a presidential campaign. People like Karen Finney, who served as a spokesperson for the DNC and is now with the Clinton campaign. It's sad, but no one thinks to automatically make an African American woman or a Latino woman the spokesperson for general issues. They come to us for women's issues, or about issues connected to communities of color, but never for things like trade.
Symone Sanders got the opportunity of being Senator Sanders’ national spokesperson by being in the right place at the right time. Sanders was working in a global trade policy think tank when she sought to become involved in campaigning — something she felt was her real calling. The Senator’s office reached out to her and before she knew it, she was talking to Bernie Sanders himself. After a long rounded discussion on many issues, he asked Ms. Sanders what she wanted to do and she told him — to be his press secretary, although she had no previous experience in this area.
Sanders called her back and offered her the job. If I recall, it was also during a time when the Sanders’ campaign was getting a lot of criticism for its lack of diversity among his own campaign staff, especially after his early run-ins with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Perhaps in part due to her own lack of exposure at such a level, Ms. Sanders had some tough experiences on the campaign trail not unlike similar experiences had by Senator Tim Scott, (R-SC) when one holds an important position, but because you lack immediate facial recognition:
“My breaking point was a time when I had let the event staff know I was having trouble getting in places and asked them if they could just really make an extra effort for this particular day, because it had been a long week. Like, "Could you please just let folks know that I'm coming and that I'm black?" You don't think you'd have to say those things, but I said, "Let them know there's going to be a black girl that's going to come to the front and please let her in."
So I got past the first few checkpoints, but then I pulled into a parking spot and a gentleman came running up to my car, banging on my window, yelling all kinds of profanity and expletives, telling me to get the F out of here, this is for staff, and that I didn't belong back here. I broke down in the car. I cracked my window down and I said, "I'm the national press secretary!" I was just crying. Eventually someone came down and let me in.”
Senator Sanders did eventually learn of his press secretary’s experience and was shocked and appalled by what happened to her. Ms. Sanders stated that Senator Sanders made an extra effort and spent extra time discussing racism and race relations during his speech that night. From what I read of her interview, there was no indication if this discussion extended to his own staff. I will give him the benefit of doubt that it eventually did. (See update above)
I think the takeaway here is that while we have witnessed history last week with the nomination of a woman to represent a major political party for President of the United States, our society needs to work on expanding and stretching our collective consciousness to view any position of importance, power and authority as something that anyone — regardless of their sex or skin color is capable of having without needed to be facially familiar before they are believed.
We need to work on this.
Saturday, Jul 30, 2016 · 10:49:38 PM +00:00 · smoothnmellow
Hey, I wanted to update this diary and I will be changing the title. While I read the Lenny article, the Buzzfeed article quoting from it added the campaign staff part. Idiots. Anyway, I will edit this because I want this to be right. I will also include Ms. Sanders’ tweets as well.