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And She Could Be Next follows the grassroots campaigns of six women of color running for political office during the contentious 2018 United States midterm elections. Produced by female filmmakers of color, the documentary offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of these women leaders whose personal motivations, political coalitions, and ground-level activism steamroll the expectations of their opponents and of the broader public — defying traditional notions of what it means to be a U.S. politician in the process. Part one of the two-part film provides a framework for a critical analysis of how race, gender, and class operate in electoral politics in the United States by focusing on how shifting demographics are perceived as a threat to contemporary and historic “democratic” power structures.

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of community organizing, challenging barriers and narratives and illuminating the leadership of women of color (WOC). This guide is designed for people who want to use And She Could be Next to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues and communities in dialogue around issues presented in the film series. This discussion guide is meant to inspire people with varying degrees of knowledge about WOC’s role in social movements and histories of political disenfranchisement regarding communities of color. The hope is that this resource will support generative discussion and inspire people to open their minds and imagine new possibilities for which people, and what communities, are at the forefront of political change.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the topics in the film. Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that best meet your needs and interests.And be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult and or uncomfortable

SYNOPSIS

In a polarized America, where the dual forces of white supremacy and patriarchy threaten to further erode our democracy, a game-changing transformation is happening at the grassroots. As demographics shift toward a non-white majority, elections will be decided by Americans inspired to vote for the first time. Many of these voters, who are often black, brown, immigrant or poor, are ignored by politicians and journalists alike. And She Could Be Next a two-part documentary series directed by Peabody Award-winner Grace Lee (American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs) and Iranian documentary filmmaker Marjan Safinia (Seeds), tells the story of a defiant movement of women of color who are transforming American politics from the ground up. The documentary series, filmed from 2018 through 2019, follows forward-thinking candidates and organizers across the country, asking whether democracy itself can be preserved —and made stronger— by those most marginalized. The series is centered on individuals at the heart of the movement behind the New American Majority, including: Stacey Abrams (Georgia), Bushra Amiwala (Skokie, IL), Maria Elena Durazo (Los Angeles, CA), Veronica Escobar (El Paso, TX), Lucy McBath (Atlanta, GA), Rashida Tlaib (Detroit, MI) and Nse Ufot, Executive Director of the New Georgia Project. And She Could Be Next features an entirely women of color creative team and credits contributing field directors: Yoruba Richen, Geeta Gandbhir, Amber Fares, Deborah Esquenazi, Ramona Emerson and Anayansi Prado.

Key Participants

• Stacey Abrams (Georgia)
• Bushra Amiwala (Skokie, Illinois)
• Maria Elena Durazo (Los Angeles, California)
• Veronica Escobar (El Paso, Texas)
• Lucy McBath (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Rashida Tlaib (Detroit, Michigan)
• Nse Ufot, Executive Director of the New Georgia Project
• Grace Lee, Director
• Marjana Safinia, Filmmaker
• Ava DuVernay, Executive Producer

Key issues

And She Could be Next is an excellent tool for outreach and will be of special interest to people who want to explore the following topics:

• Civic engagement
• Community organizing
• Communities
  • Communities of color
  • Low-income communities
  • Communities of immigrants
• Gender equity
• Power of Narratives and Framing
• Power: Political Power & People Power
• Systematic oppression and systemic racism
• Voter suppression
• Women of Color in leadership

American Political Landscape: Histories of Exclusion

To understand And She Could be Next and its full potential means revisiting the historical landscape of the United States. Additionally, to fully grasp the importance of the Women of Color fighting at the grassroots level for political leadership, it is crucial to understand the historical realities of disenfranchisement and the ways that women of color, specifically, have been excluded from access to the political stage in America. After the Civil War, freed slaves “earned” the right to vote and hold office - the 15th Amendment of the Constitution made this clear in 1870 evidenced by the right to vote regardless of race or color. Importantly, however; this invitation to civic participation was not open to women. Though African Americans finally secured the right to vote, barriers embedded within Jim Crow Laws - and amplified through common social and cultural intimidation practices - continued to impede Black peoples’ ability to safely and securely exercise these rights they were granted. Some examples of the barriers include tests and examinations that were required to pass in order to vote that required literacy skills. Newly freed slaves had been banned from formal education, therefore lacked the necessary skills of reading and writing, which made these exams a barrier to casting their votes. Therefore, the right to vote became a battle against systemic racism and the economic, educational, and political implications of institutionalized oppression. This was the earliest enactment of voter suppression.

Importantly, this context does not even include or consider the right for women to vote. Suffrage was not extended to women until 1920 through the 19th Amendment, and it was not until 1965 via the Voting Rights Act that Jim Crow Laws were eradicated. So, women of color being seen and heard on the political forefront is new and urgent because they have been historically marginalized and excluded from participations. Unfortunately, voter suppression continues covertly in present-day voting practices and the representation of women of color, though growing, is still slim.

Women of Color as Leaders

Historically, women of color have been leading the way to make changes in order to break barriers beyond just gender and race. Though often underrepresented in the field of politics due to institutional barriers, their voices and influences have been mighty. Despite the reality that in 2018 women of color represented less than 9% of Congress - in that very same year - women of color enacted significant gains and pushed boundaries of power in politics by record numbers with both local and statewide offices. Many of those running said they were inspired to run based on the outcome of the 2016 election in which Hillary Clinton, the first female candidate from a major political party, ran for President of the United States. Though before Hillary Clinton, there was Shirley Chisolm, the first African American woman in Congress (1968) and the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for President of the United States from one of the two major political parties (1972).

In a country with a history of excluding non-white people and women from voting and running for office, a transformation is happening. Though the terrain is a steady struggle, there is an increase in voter awareness in communities of color and immigrant communities. The urgent need for women of color to hold political office is being seen and felt, and more and more women are courageously attempting to fill these gaps. The realities and understanding that the United States and the politics of this country were established based on exclusivity, patriarchy, and white supremacy are being realized every day. The timeliness of And She Could be Next could not be more necessary as, in 2020, the United States navigates the multiple layers and intersecting pandemics of racism, sexism, and COVID-19. Through grassroots efforts and community organizing, change is possible. Contemporary political crises in America reflect this historical reality: women of color continue to step into their power and lead organized movements against white supremacist and patriarchal institutions.

The New American Majority: An Overview

For the first time during the 2018 midterm elections, more women and people of color than white men ran for congressional seats: a record high. The diversity in candidates led to, and was impacted by, a transformation in how voters were engaged in politics and informed about candidates. Stepping into leadership roles afforded greater control of narratives through which women of color were framed on the political stage, which then positively impacted the inclusivity and diversity in voter turnout. The Congressional class ushered in by the midterm elections, was made up of more than 60 percent women, people of color, and LGBTQ representatives, and included the youngest women, the first Native Americans, and the first Muslim-American women to serve in Congress. This push for the transformation of the political landscape of America was done in part by the New American Majority.

Steadily there has been a shift in the political conversations happening across cultures, races, socioeconomic status, abilities, age, sexuality, gender and religion. The New American Majority is defined as a future where America is majority non-white and is composed of immigrant and working-class communities of color that make up more than half of the American political electorate. The New American Majority also shows the potential and importance for disenfranchised communities to reclaim power and the movement towards revamping political structures for a new majority of people - people who have been underrepresented for far too long in this democratic nation. The struggle continues as these majority-minority communities continue to experience forms of disenfranchisement through gerrymandering, voter ID laws, and a lack of accessible and functional community polling stations. In that sense, the fight for equality continues to be pressing and urgent.

Immediately after the film, you may want to give people a few quiet moments to reflect on what they have seen. You could pose a general question (examples below) and give people some time to themselves to jot down their thoughts, share their reflections with a partner, or to think about their ideas before opening the floor for discussion.

PROMPT ONE: What does it mean to be an American? What does it mean to lead a civically engaged life?

• And She Could be Next shows the power of community mobilization, grassroots organizing and different levels of participation (i.e. there is a leader in all of us, even those who do not have the right to vote). We can each bring a part of ourselves to the movement. What are some ways you have organized in the past? What new and creative modes of participation does this film have you considering?
• In a truly democratic society, what does it mean to lead a civic life and include others?
• What does “there is a leader in all of us” mean to you?
• All women highlighted throughout the film and the makers of the film push to expand our ideas on what being “American” can look, sound, and feel like and the diverse ways of being American. To you, what does it mean to be American?
• How does the film take up the urgency to accessibility to foster more spaces of belonging and representation?

PROMPT TWO: Women of Color and the Wisdom to Lead

• In what ways have women of color been excluded from power?
  • Who do you know, either personally or politically, that has been excluded?
  • By whom? By which structures? In what way(s)?
• In what ways might the lived experiences of women of color propel their leadership and desire for change? In what ways does this experience foster a uniquely powerful wisdom to lead?
• In what ways are you familiar with how women of color have used coalition building as an effective strategy for change?
• What can we learn from the women highlighted in the film that is relevant to this political and cultural moment?

PROMPT THREE: People, Power, Politics

• Think about the relationships between power and politics represented in the film.
  • In what ways is power intertwined with political action?
  • In what ways is power taken up and imposed to infringe upon others?
  • In what ways do these leaders, and grassroots community members, step into their power?
• What are the ways the politics of power provide some with opportunity and/or create barriers for others?
• In what ways has this relationship between history, power, and politics been invisible to you until now?
• What would this country look like if we truly had a representative government? What would change?
• Using the power that we have, how can one navigate an unjust system while sticking to values and principles?

PROMPT FOUR: Women of Color and Double-Consciousness

Double consciousness is a concept coined by W.E.B. DuBois. Double consciousness describes the feeling of when a person belongs to/experiences more than one social identity, which makes it difficult to develop a sense of self because sometimes these identities and the experiences connected to these identities can be in conflict with one another.

• We all live in spaces where we have to say or act differently--i.e. at home and at work--how can we make all spaces inclusive for everyone? Is this possible?
• What are some ways to respond when you see a microaggression at work?
• What are some ways to intervene if you see someone on the street being racially profiled?
  • How can you be part of the solution?
  • How can you hold yourself and others accountable to a commitment against the further perpetuation of both macro- and microaggressions?

PROMPT FIVE: The Power of Narrative, Media, and Storytelling

• What new narratives were offered by the key participants that show and further support the value, wisdom, and wealth of the knowledge women of color have to offer?
• How are the key participants and filmmakers involved in this film offering new and dynamic narratives that frame the work of women of color?
• What are some leadership qualities exhibited by key participants and filmmakers in And She Could Be Next that you wish more people embodied, in and outside of politics?
• In what ways do media and storytelling have power to both:
  • (1.) perpetuate deficit (or negative) representations of women of color, and
  • (2) to offer fresh framings and new narratives for the contributions WOC make in our social and political worlds?

Closing question/activity (optional):

• Discuss microaggressions - what are they? How have we experienced them?
  • Examples of microaggressions can be found here.
  • An article on how to respond to microaggressions can be found here.
  • An antiracist perspective to respond to microaggressions can be foundhere.

• Find out who your representatives are here
• Documentary, Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed
• Television series, Mrs. America, a drama television miniseries that explores the political movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.
• Eyes on the Prize docuseries, Eyes on the Prize tells the story of the civil rights period from the everyday lives of the men and women who propelled the movement.
• A toolkit and background information for community organizing
• More information on voter suppression
• Women of Color Network
• National Women’s Political Caucus
• Digestible breakdown of the Civil Rights Movement

Writer

Maureen Nicol

Guide Producers, POV

Chrissy Griesmer
POV Engage Intern

Courtney Cook
Education Manager

Thanks to those who reviewed this guide:

The League

Rachel Friedland
POV, Senior Associate, Programs & Engagement

A co-production of POV and ITVS in association with:

• The Center for Asian American Media
• Latino Public Broadcasting

A co-presentation of:

• Black Public Media
• The Center for Asian American Media