Pressuring Kamala Harris To Be More Progressive Is Good, Actually

Brea Baker is a writer, organizer and author of Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft & The Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership. In her opinion column for Unbothered, she shares perspectives on the current U.S. presidential race.

Progressives have been claiming victory since Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. When he was announced, I breathed a sigh of relief and became (cautiously) optimistic. As Governor, Walz signed over 40 climate initiatives into law in 2023 alone and has been a champion for clean and renewable energy since his time in Congress. He’s supported grassroots coalitions across his state and signed universal school meals into law, legalized cannabis and expunged related convictions, enshrined abortion rights, defended LGBTQ+ civil rights, and affirmed labor protections. And while Walz has stopped short of recognizing the allegations of genocide in Palestine and voted in the past to continue U.S. financial support to Israel, he has been vocal about his belief that pro-Palestinian protestors deserve to be heard and that Palestinians are facing an “intolerable” situation. The alternative was Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro who has threatened protestors’ rights to boycott, previously volunteered for the Israeli army, and has advocated for privatized education through school vouchers at the behest of billionaire funders. Considering that, it seems as if the Harris campaign is, at the very least, interested in earning the trust of young progressives who clearly care about these issues. 

The choice of Governor Walz as the Vice Presidential Democratic candidate, like the decision for Biden to step down as the nominee, has been viewed as an important win for the Uncommitted National Movement that is focused on an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an arms embargo, and an end to the long-term siege on Gaza. In dissenting to Biden’s leadership by voting uncommitted in states like Michigan, Georgia, Hawai’i, and Walz’s home state of Minnesota, this movement has reiterated what June Jordan said about Palestine being the litmus test of morality. The choice to go with Walz has been viewed as a win for young and progressive voters who first rejected a second Biden term and then said no to Shapiro. More than fifty Democratic Party leaders signed onto an open letter urging Harris not to select Shapiro while young people expressed their disdain online. As Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour wrote on social media, “[this choice] required listening and following the sentiment of climate justice organizers, teachers, young people, women, Arab and Muslim voters who raised valid critiques of Josh Shapiro from PA… this shows that our collective efforts have impact.”

There are other examples of the Harris campaign shifting as progressives demand more from the Democratic Party. At a rally in Detroit, a state with large Arab American and Muslim populations, protestors began chanting “we won’t vote for genocide.” Initially, Harris was polite while refusing to engage the topic of Israel-Palestine. After repeated chanting, Harris retorted, “if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.” Her remarks felt dismissive and didn’t convince pro-Palestine protestors that this issue was a priority for her administration. Just a few days later, Harris was again interrupted during a rally — this time in Arizona. Her response was noticeably different. “I respect your voices” she began, addressing the protestors directly. “Now is the time to get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done.” Kamala Harris and her team are listening and course correcting in real time. This is in direct response to the work of organizers and shows that we don’t change the status quo by being silent. 

Outside pressure is a good thing for movements and an important aspect of civic engagement. Engaged voters don’t need to be silent about what isn’t working for them. On the contrary, feedback is a gift, invitation, and road map all in one. Praise and blind allegiance alone turns public servants into celebrities. A true democracy is strengthened through rigorous critique so that our leaders and representatives can hear directly from the people about what our society should look and feel like.  

Carmen Perez-Jordan is a civil rights and gender justice leader as well as the President and CEO of The Gathering for Justice and Founder of Justice League NYC. Due to nonprofit restrictions, Perez-Jordan can’t always work directly to get candidates elected but that doesn’t mean she can’t effect change. The inside-outside approach involves both collaborating with and pressuring politicians to incentivize a particular action. Some efforts may be more public while others happen off-the-record, but this approach recognizes that different times call for different measures. In some instances, an elected official wants to do good but needs community support to convey the urgency and address an issue meaningfully. Or perhaps elected officials have proven unwilling to take action, so direct action is used to show where true power lies and force their hand. Across Perez-Jordan’s twenty five years of organizing, she’s found the strategy to be a winning one. 

“We have to stop making assumptions that politicians or elected officials are experts in the fields we work in,” Perez-Jordan warns. Many aren’t well-versed in specific issues so they lean on community organizers to understand what is needed. “We had a well-oiled inside outside strategy,” Perez-Jordan describes when recounting Justice League NYC’s role in passing critical legislation to raise the age of when a child can be prosecuted as an adult. Her first step was leaning on something her mentor, Harry Belafonte, told her: there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent causes. In the case of the Raise the Age campaign, what should have been an easy win was made more difficult because of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) where several Democratic state senators opted to caucus with the Republican Party. The IDC had been allegedly standing in the way of progressive legislation. “We had back door, off-the-record meetings with elected officials to educate them on the criminal legal system and to learn how we could better work around the IDC,” Perez-Jordan shared. In the end, the progressive coalition won thanks in large part to this behind-the-scenes effort.

Online debates have grappled with whether the Left is capitulating to a damned system by participating in endorsing candidates or encouraging people to vote. The inside-outside approach offers something a bit less black and white. Maurice Mitchell is the National Director of the Working Families Party where he is working to establish a political home for a multiracial working class movement. Similar to Perez-Jordan, Mitchell acknowledges that elections are not the be-all and end-all of building political power but sees them as opportunities to shape the terrain of future organizing. “Voting is not a love letter or a Valentine,” Mitchell told Unbothered. “They’re building a cult, we’re building a movement.” Mitchell believes that we do a disservice by emphasizing personality and other symbolic measures. “This is about one agenda over another.” The answer to that predicament is more nuanced than most believe. “We have more options than getting in line or dropping out completely,” Mitchell asserts. 

Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign for President looks a lot different from her 2020 push. That’s a testament to the chorus of progressive voices who made it clear any path to the White House is through the most marginalized among us. That includes Palestinians, Black people, members of the LGBTQIA community, immigrants, formerly incarcerated people, and everyone aware of the stakes. If Harris’ choices so far, including picking Walz, are any indication of what’s to come, we should expect a robust policy platform and broader coalitions where progressive leaders are empowered to continue guiding the Harris-Walz ticket. This isn’t a declaration of my faith in Harris or Walz as individuals, but rather in the people and organizers committed to holding them accountable to our shared needs. 

Elections are vehicles and there is something to be gained through them without ending the conversation at the Inauguration. Carmen Perez-Jordan knows this well having co-organized the 2017 Women’s March. On Day 1 of Trump’s administration, Perez-Jordan helped mobilize millions to the streets in resistance. She believes we should be vocal every time someone new is installed into office. “We can’t be on the sidelines,” she said. “We have to make Kamala Harris move where we need her.” We have the responsibility to speak up and set the agenda, and the Harris campaign has the responsibility to invite us in, listen, and act. “Our communities are deserving of that robust strategy,” Perez-Jordan says. “It’s life or death for us.”

If the Harris-Walz ticket wins, Maurice Mitchell is clear that there will be a fight against the corporate agenda. “We will need everyone to join organizations like the Working Families Party to be part of that fight,” Mitchell cautions. “If we lose [in November], we’ll definitely need to be and stay organized.” Either way, we should never fall asleep at the wheel. Democracy only works when we do.