Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren visited Clark Atlanta University Thursday to deliver a speech about valuing the work of Black women; however, her speech was interrupted by a group of parent activists comprised of many Black women.
The purpose of the “Black Women” themed rally was for Warren to honor the historic legacy of some of the most persistent and fearless women fighters in the Civil Rights movement.
“Fighters, I want to talk about tonight are Black women,” Warren said as she received a thunder of applause. “As a white woman, I will never fully understand the discrimination, the pain, the harm that black Americans have experienced just because of the color of their skin.”
Warren’s opening statements were immediately combated with loud chants in the audience from the group whose t-shirts read, “Powerful Parent Network.”
“Our children, our choice!” they shouted in unison.
Supporters of Warren attempted to drown out the group’s voices shouting back, “Warren! Warren! Warren!”
Demanding to be heard and not be silenced, the protestors responded with another chant, “Dream big, our choice!”
The senator chimed in volunteering to listen to their demands but was again contested by a series of different chants, “Dream big, our choice!”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who introduced Warren returned to the stage hoping to settle the challengers.
“I want to say something,” Pressley said. “No one is here to quiet you — at least not this Black woman who knows what it is when people try to put me in a corner and tell me to be quiet.”
Pressley continued, stating to the parent network that their concerns were welcome and that Warren was open to discussing the contributions fighters like them have made to American history.
“But when these women have been ignored this long, this is their moment and we are going to hear the story,” Pressley concluded.
The protestors exited, as the rest of the crowd repeatedly chanted Warren’s name in celebration.
Reporters met in the hallway with the angry complainers where they took the opportunity to express their issues with Warren’s education plan, which entails the elimination of charter schools and ceasing federal funding for charter school expansion.
Leading protestor Sarah Carpenter was asked by one of the reporters, what would she want to tell Warren.
“Look at your education plan,” Carpenter said. “Talk to real people that live in underserved communities. What Black women (is) she talking about?
“Are you talking to the white-collar Black women? Cause we got them too,” she continued. “Are you talking to Black women that come from certain zip codes or make a certain amount of money? We got them too in our own race. So when you talk about Black women, all of us work but we value our children’s education, cause we know that’s the only way to get out.”
