Black women from around the region came to Philadelphia on October 13 during a Higher Heights For America brunch with a purpose.
By Denise Clay-Murray
Seated at a table at the Attico Rooftop restaurant in Center City, Sybil Jenkins and Margo Wilson wrote like democracy depended on it.
The two women, Jenkins from Williamstown, New Jersey, and Wilson from Middletown, Delaware, were among the women gathered for Higher Heights for America’s weekly Sunday brunches. The purpose of this particular brunch was to write postcards reminding voters around the country to make a plan to vote.
While both women live in states where Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris will most likely win, they see signs in their neighborhoods and even among their family members that former president and Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump can get back into the White House.
Since Pennsylvania is one of six so-called “swing states” that will most likely decide the election, and Wilson’s 23-year-old nephew told her that he was strongly considering giving Trump his vote, both women decided to spring into action.
“When my daughter sent [the notification email] to me, I jumped on it right away,” Jenkins said.
“I really wanted to get involved,” Wilson said. “This is a chance to make history. I used to [write postcards for advocacy] in college.”
The two women were among the 75 who came to Attico for the Sunday Brunch, something which plays a significant role in the history of Higher Heights. A brunch conversation about the fact that the presence of Black women didn’t match their participation in civic life led to the organization’s creation.
While a number of women gathering at a restaurant for kale Caesar salads, scrambled eggs, bacon, cardamon pound cake, and mimosas may seem innocuous, there is power in gatherings like this, said Glynda Johns, president and CEO of Higher Heights.
“We can brunch with purpose,” she said. “We are ensuring that we are going to drag out every single person we can to move this country to higher heights.”
Among the things that Higher Heights does is provide leadership training for Black women interested in entering politics, and provide money and assistance for Black women currently running for office.
For example, the organization provided assistance to Mayor Cherelle Parker in her run for mayor.
While the top of the ticket is important in the 2024 Election, the brunch was also an opportunity to remind the women gathered that sending Kamala Harris to the nation’s highest office is only the beginning, Johns said.
“I’m excited about a Kamala Harris [presidency] for a variety of reasons,” she said. “She looks like me. She talks like me. But she also is uniquely qualified. We have to ensure that we continue to send elected leaders who are going to carry the issues that we care about. We have all of our eyes on the top of the ticket, but we’re ensuring that we are having meaningful conversations with our elected leaders once they’re elected.”
In addition to a performance from singer Shanice, State Rep. Morgan Cephas spoke to the group, praising the participants for coming out on a Sunday and Higher Heights for putting together such a creative get-out-the-vote effort.
In a place like Pennsylvania, where all that stands between the kind of legislation that would keep women from making basic decisions about their own health is two people — Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton and Gov. Josh Shapiro — every vote counts, said Cephas, who is up for her 5th term in the Pennsylvania House.
“Please know that if Pennsylvania goes to the Republican Party, we can be Florida and Texas by tomorrow,” she said. “Republicans continuously push and push abortion bills through our chamber to get them to the governor’s desk, but because we have the governor that has the veto pen, we’re able to block it.”
Higher Heights will host a National Day of Sunday Brunch on Oct. 27 as a means of mobilizing volunteers and getting out the vote. If you would like to host a brunch on that date, visit: www.higherheightsforamerica.org.
Election Day is November 5.
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