Jotaka Eaddy, founder of the “Win With Black Women” movement, has taken on a powerful role rallying support for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential bid.
Eaddy, who organized a livestream with 90,000 participants when Harris entered the race, says she’s long been driven to fight for justice. “I was always that kid who wanted to stand up for anyone I felt was being mistreated,” she shared.
Eaddy’s mission grew stronger in 2020 when she saw many Black women, considered for vice president alongside then-candidate Joe Biden, face intense racist and sexist attacks. “Every one of those women were receiving racist, sexist attacks.
No one was challenging their policies—it was always, ‘she’s too ambitious,’” Eaddy recalled. Encouraged by her mentor, former White House political director Minyon Moore, Eaddy decided to take action.
In response, she launched “Win With Black Women,” a virtual network that began meeting weekly during the pandemic. The group’s goal was to support and elevate the voices and policy goals of Black women.
Since Harris’s announcement in July, “Win With Black Women” has raised over $2.6 million for her campaign and has drawn thousands of participants and allies nationwide.
The group’s influence peaked in July when President Biden announced he was stepping back from the race, endorsing Harris as his successor. That night, Eaddy’s group held a virtual gathering that went viral, drawing around 90,000 participants, including Black women and allies, to strategize and celebrate the moment.
“Remember this moment, remember where you were, remember how you felt,” Eaddy urged. Even when the call ended at 1 a.m., 20,000 participants stayed on, creating what Eaddy described as a “virtual hug.”
The success of “Win With Black Women” has inspired similar political mobilization efforts, and in September, Eaddy’s work was recognized during a “Unite for America” livestream hosted by Oprah Winfrey. Kamala Harris herself joined the event and thanked Eaddy for her efforts. “She started it, Jotaka started it,” Harris acknowledged.
Support for Harris among Black women remains overwhelmingly strong. According to CBS News polling, over 90% of Black women voters back Harris in the 2024 race, building on the crucial role Black women played in securing Biden’s victory in 2020. In Georgia, for instance, 92% of Black women supported Biden, helping a Democrat win the state for the first time in nearly three decades.
Historian and professor Martha S. Jones underscores the long-standing legacy of Black women’s organizing. “For more than a century, Black women have been knocking on the door, insisting on a place at the table in American politics,” said Jones, author of Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All. Jones was among those on Eaddy’s July call and emphasized the importance of voting as “the heart of democracy.”
Eaddy sees “Win With Black Women” as setting a new standard for voter outreach and hopes it will have an enduring impact. “What we are seeing is a level of energy united around our collective need to ensure that this country is a place where we can all thrive and be free,” Eaddy said.
Through “Win With Black Women,” Eaddy not only aims to boost support for Harris but also cements the role of Black women as vital players in American politics. By uniting thousands around a shared vision of justice, her movement is influencing the political landscape as Election Day approaches.
Eaddy’s work is part of a long tradition of Black women leading in moments of change, and her hope is that “Win With Black Women” will continue to inspire and mobilize future generations.
