Attorney and political activist Sima Ladjevardian advised minority women to get financially involved in politics to begin to represent themselves and influence the process that largely ignores minority women.
What We Know:
- Ladjevardian supported Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid in 2016 with thousands of dollars and again supported the democratic party this year by donating over $2,000 to Beto O’Rourke.
- Ladjevardian encourages minority women to do the same, explaining that “women of color have been afraid to get more involved…because they didn’t think it would matter. It’s important to get [them] to donate and be involved in the process.”
- Newstimes reported that especially women of color in wealthy demographics disproportionately do not donate to political causes, largely preferring philanthropic causes. But Ladjevardian believes giving money to political causes is the most efficient way to affect change.
- Indian American political activist Sunita Leeds has given similar advice to minority women and herself invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democratic Party and candidates. Leeds said, “There’s a huge opportunity [in political investment] for this sleeping giant.”
- Activists and investors like Ladjevardian hope the unprecedented women of color elected into office in 2018 will help inspire activism.
- Ladjevardian’s advice comes at a time of the Democratic Party’s empowerment of minority women in the political process; She the People, a policial group progressively encouraging women to become involved in politics, held their first-ever presidential forum this April.
- The candidate forum was focused on issues important to women of color featuring Senators Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Former Representative Beto O’Rourke and Former Secretary Julián Castro.
Ladjevardian’s advice seeks to help minority women better represent themselves in the political process.
