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Sister Space: Collective Descriptive Representation and Black Women in Legislative Caucuses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2023

Nadia E. Brown Open the ORCID record for Nadia E. Brown [Opens in a new window] ,
Christopher J. Clark ,
Anna Mitchell Mahoney  and
Michael Strawbridge
Nadia E. Brown*
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, USA
Christopher J. Clark
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
Anna Mitchell Mahoney
Affiliation:
Tulane University, USA
Michael Strawbridge
Affiliation:
Rutgers University, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Email: nb865@georgetown.edu
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Extract

Black women in elective office in the United States have demonstrated how descriptive representative transforms democratic institutions. This transformation is most evident in previously uncrystallized interests, those new to the agenda or not yet owned by specific political groups (Mansbridge 1999), articulated in legislative communication and action. For instance, Black maternal health is an issue that addresses the disproportionately poor health outcomes among Black women, who face systemic barriers to equitable care (Crear-Perry et al. 2021). Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s (D-IL) 2021 Momnibus legislation included 12 bipartisan bills to address racial and ethnic disparities faced by mothers, children, and individuals who birth. Indeed, the creation of the Black Maternal Health Caucus (BMHC) demonstrates the legislative agency of Black women to form identity- and issue-based coalitions that suit the needs of Black women—needs often overlooked by Black men and white women.

Type
Critical Perspectives Article
Information
Politics & Gender , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , December 2023 , pp. 1234 - 1238
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Women, Gender, and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association

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