Black Women, “Karens” and “White Dudes” for Harris Prove How Powerful Digital Organizing Can be
Shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris announced her bid for president, the internet was flooded with memes and videos recirculating some of Harris’ most viral moments, including her now-infamous ‘coconut tree’ speech. But while one side of the internet was still discussing her silk-press routine, more serious conversations were being had about how the Harris campaign broke records for raising $81 million in just 24 hours, much of which came from grassroots campaigns.[1]
Within hours of Harris’ announcement, Win With Black Women held one of the first of several zoom calls that garnered support for the Vice President. And in a post on Instagram, my aunt was proud to announce that she was one of 44,000 Black women on that historic call. These calls are what Axios is calling the new political rally.
The success of the Win with Black Women gathering inspired Shannon Watts, co-founder of Every Town, to call on White women to do the same.
Actress Connie Britton jokingly called the women’s group “Karens for Kamala.”[2] But their success was hardly a laughing matter. Those “Karens” broke a record for most participants on a Zoom call with 160,000+ participants and raised nearly $2M in just a few hours. “White Dudes for Harris” had similar success and featured celebrities like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Mark Ruffalo.
As progressive advocacy groups gear up for the final 100 days before the election and beyond, it's important that we prioritize a robust digital organizing strategy that harness the power of email campaigns, text banking, social media, and, of course, virtual events.
Here are few reasons why virtual rallies work particularily well:
Location is no longer a boundary
The presence of A-Listers like P!NK is part of what makes these virtual gatherings exciting. Eliminating distance as a barrier is a huge factor for why those appearances were possible. Plus, the ability to gather with people across all 50 states creates a powerful sense of unity and shared purpose.
Budget-friendly
Virtual events significantly slash the costs of in-person events, particularly when it comes to featuring keynote speakers. (Just consider the cost of travel and accommodation high-profile guests). And virtual gatherings sidestep the hefty costs of a physical venue, security, and other logistic that come with traditional events.
The ability to reach younger audiences
Since so much of digital organizing is primarily driven by social media, virtual events open up unprecedented avenues to engaging younger constituencies — a demographic known for lower voter turnout. And because attending an in-person political gathering may pose logistical challenges for younger individuals, joining a virtual event is naturally more accessible.
As a digital media professional, I can't stress enough that the digital landscape we live in isn't going away. Social media, email marketing, web platforms, and virtual events are not only growing — they're evolving how we connect, communicate, and campaign. So when campaign directors question the importance of digital media strategies, I will continue to point to the resounding success of digital campaigns like the 'Win With Black Women’ and ‘White Dudes for Harris’ calls. The sooner we embrace and invest in comprehensive digital media campaigns, the sooner we not only adapt to the future but also begin to truly shape it.
