C1 i'm not the candidate of black america, although i am black and proud. I got into this race for one reason and one reason only. To fight. Black women are phenomenal. They're dynamic, intelligent and consistent at the ballot box. But that consistency has at times been taken for granted. There's no one type of black woman. Black women exist everywhere. Black women live in city, they live in rural areas, black women shine in hollywood. Manage seats in corporate america and occupy some of the highest offices in american government. Hi everybody, good afternoon. Reporter: black women are continuing to make history as mayors, in state houses, as first ladies, and as supreme court justices. And now, possibly the first black woman to be elected to the highest office in the land. We are not going back. Black women are not a monolith and their views are varied. And with an existential election on the horizon we are looking to black women to see what they're thinking and what if anything candidates can do to earn their votes in november. I'm simone sanders townsend, and i'm melissa. Greetings to you. This is black women in america the road to 2024. And we're standing in the smithsonian portrait gallery where you have some equally impactful black women who are perhaps a little less well known. Like hornsel. We have all heard of their eyes were watching god. That was hornsel's baby. She also happened to be the librarian at my high school lincoln park academy in fort pierce, florida. Not while you were there. Of course, of course. Over here we have marrian anderson. Very regal. Look at the fur. Anderson was the first black soloist to perform in the philharmonic. She also performed on the steps of the lincoln memorial. I believe this is what the portrait was. This is her concert at the behest of first lady roosevelt. The first lady invited her to give her concert here and the rest is history. The rest is history. And a beautiful portrait came of it. So many icons are in this building. Bethune is also here. The list it really goes on. Even though this rich history is all around us, we are right now on the precipice of perhaps an even more historical moment as we step into this presidential election cycle. Simone and i decided to take our show on the road for the summer and we went all over the country talking to black women about this upcoming election and who's going to earn their votes and why. To get a pulse on what matters most to black women this election cycle, melissa and i took a trip to essence fest. It's the preliminary event for all things black. When we spoke to the ceo essence, she said depending on how this election goes years of progress in america could be lost. The conversation with our community has been, we are not at risk depending on who you choose to vote for. We are not at risk of handing off something that didn't progress. We're at risk of handing off something that went backward. My 8yearold niece, she's 30, but she's 8. But like, the conversation i may have to have with io is that generation takes the mantle is one of no love you don't have the same reproductive rights that i did. We talk in the black community a lot about the talk. The talk with your young black sons. Now we're having a different talk with our daughters. But we need to be prepared for that consequence. Every election we have at the forefront of our mind what how what we want to vote for. The difference is that it's not going to get something it's that we're going to lose a lot of things that we got from the prior generation. That we won't be able to hand off. And so that day when you don't want to get up off your couch and go vote, or you don't want to do an absentee ballot because you won't be able to get it that day. Help me understand how i'm going to tell iao how i'm going to have that talk. Yes it's been about where do you vote and what are the issues that are important to you and it's there. But it's also been about apathy. And there's places where that may file not to vote but in this one it matters so much more. Reporter: this presidential e hrebgts could election could be make or break. And yet there are still some folks out there who are considering sitting this one out. For more insight on where people especially young people are ahead of election day. Melissa and i went to my nail salon. Cosmo beauty bar in washington, d. C. To speak with three millennial black women. One of whom is voting in north carolina about their plans this november. How are folks feeling about this election season? it's crazy to say the least. Yeah, i'm feeling a little iffy. The first time i was able to vote was for hillary clinton. That was my first and last time because i feel like, okay i felt hope that hillary would win. I felt excitement from the community around me. I just had so much hope. Then look what happened and so now i'm like, did my vote really matter? i don't know. Were you excited to vote before the switch or were you just going to sit it out. I was probably going to sit it out. I agree. It was definitely sitting it out. I was not voting at all before the switch. I'm still up in the air. Obviously i'm a muslim woman so it's very nervewracking and very scary for me. It's already hard wearing hijab in public. When you talk about project 2025 it's kind of scary. Are you suggesting for both of you, that you could potentially vote for donald trump. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. So it's purely just about sitting out the election as opposed to voting for someone. I'm rooting for everything black if i'm being super honest. If i'm voting, that's the way i'm going regardless. But i mean i'm still nervous. My original opinions were i was going to vote for biden. I wasn't totally confident in him one i was confident in who he would surround himself with. I would rather vote a celery stick into the office rather than trump. I'm hopeful she can get the job done. I don't think donald trump has done anything for us in the past and i definitely don't think he would do anything now. Everybody keeps screaming i got $1,200 stimlouse stimulus check. It's gone, it's been gone for years, let it go. I just don't think really to be honest. I don't feel like my vote matters. Really? i just really don't. I don't. Because if enough people think like me maybe that would matter, so. What are the issues that would inspire you to vote and how are they not being addressed right now by government. Not any particular candidate but just sort of government. Student loans, i understand that biden said he dismissed all of those student loans. He did. I didn't see it on my account. The supreme court shut down the student loan plan. I think this is a really important point right. We live in a system where governments can do things but there's always this other check. I know people that even the supreme court got their student loan forgiven. Not me yet. I'm waiting for them to get to my box. But you don't know anybody who had their loans forgiven. Not yet. We keep getting these tweets on rip somebody, it's sad. And emotional draining for us as a community and people. And it's always some crazy situation where someone should not have had to die. I was just about to mention that, yeah. I'm trying to get help y'all. What do you need help with. Drop the pot. Develop drop the pot. How did that make you feel what donald trump said about massey's death. We need to have dignity back. It hurt my feelings. I'm raising a little boy. I worry for my son every day. We talk about every issue except reproductive rights which if you follow the news is the most important issue for women. Is it important for you. 100%. I'm prochoice but i personally for myself don't believe in abortion. But i don't believe in putting my beliefs on other people. Just because i don't believe that, i don't think it's right for everybody. I know somebody right now. Close friend of mine who is going through this situation. And she said they are making it so hard. The situation is she's pregnant and she does not want to be. She does not want to be. She's like i don't know what i'm going to do. Do you think any of these candidates are addressing the questions of reproductive rights from a frame that i have children and i want to raise them in conditions of economic security and safety and what are you doing for me government. I don't know the only thing i know about vice president harris, i know she's i think she's historically the first vice president and or president who's actually visited a planned parenthood and spoken on that. That's the only thing. Any thoughts about the down ballot races and does that change your calculus if you're going to participate in this election. I feel the down ballot races are more important. Does that mean you're thinking about voting in this election down ballot. Yes. But you're undecided if you're going to leave the top of the ticket blank. Undecided. Everybody talks about black women and black women are going holding the democracy and are going to save democrats. Are you ready to hold up democracy? absolutely not. I can barely hold up me. I think there is that narrative that black women have to play super woman to so many things. I know a lot of black women, a lot of the black community are just kind of like, they just expect us to support them and what have they done for us. I feel they put us at this high standard and if vp harris is elected and if she doesn't do the things she's going to do in these four years, right. It's going to be oh she promised us this. She didn't do this. Which is the same thing for everything that biden has promised and trump has promised. But they're going to put more pressure on her. Black women are running for congress and winning and america could potentially elect the first woman president of color who is black and of south asian decent. I am glad that we're at this point in time that we can have these opportunities. Skwrtz what would convince you, this is my candidate. Affordable housing. Reproductive rights. What are she going to do for people that are in a predicament they don't want to be in. Health care, as well. Affordable health care. And police reform. If i hear her plans on that and i like it, i'll vote. We got dee to commit that she's going to the ballot box. Strange from the mouths of young millennial black women. Thank you for your time. With vice president kamala harris on top the democratic ticket. We'll talk to five women who for decades helped write the play book for black women in politics. And we're talking to olivia polk, kerry washington. I always feel like it's a really good opportunity to remind people that they have more power than olivia pope. Each of them has the power to influence this election in far greater numbers than she could. Ever yday, more dog are deciding i time to quit the kibble and feed their dogs fresh food from the farmer's dog. Made by vets and delivered right to your door precisely portioned for your dog's needs. It's an idea whose time has come. known as a loving parent. Known for lessons that matter. Known for being a free spirit. No one wants to be known for cancer, but a treatment can be. 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I found a home, and my life is on the right track. London made it super easy for me to open my small business, by cutting city fees. And she's reinventing downtown to make our city vibrant again. She's building 82,000 new homes and helping first time homebuyers, just like us. And london's hiring hundreds of police officers, and arresting drug dealers. San francisco has been through difficult times, but our hard work is paying off. Working together, we're building a better future for the city we all love. Ad paid for by reelect mayor london breed 2024. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics. Org. Monica hill was the first black person to serve as campaign manager for a major presidential bid. Tina fonoy. Yolanda, minya moore served as the chair of this year's democratic national convention. And bishop leah sphz daughtry served for the conventions. Four of them are authors of the book for colored girls who have considered politics. What does chism say? if they don't give you a chair at the table bring a folding chase. Well we're in the real chairs because this is important. The work we're doing is important but we stand on shoulders too. 60 years ago, lou haimer. Before representative shirley was there. Mr. Chairman and to the credentials economy, my name is mrs. Lou haim er. Before that rosa parks, before that and before that. All the women, all the people who fought, who stood when they had no one helping them but each other. And those are the people that we look to. Aida b. Wells that made sure in this moment when women wanted the right to vote she got in line. She mobilized the sorority sisters to join the march on that historic day when women said, it's our turn. It's our turn to vote. So if we go all the way back to the days of the suffrage movement. Coming out of the abolitionist struggle. This has been a long j