A'shanti F. Gholar is President and CEO of Emerge, a national organization that recruits and trains Democratic women who want to run for office. She co-founded Emerge Nevada in 2006, was named Emerge's national political director in 2016, and became its president in February 2020. Earlier roles include National Deputy Director of Community Engagement at the Democratic National Committee, Manager of National Partnerships at United Way Worldwide, and a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Role at the time: President and CEO of Emerge, in a joint release published by Higher Heights for America
Condemned
Statement summary
Emerge president and CEO A'shanti Gholar said Laura Loomer's attacks were racist and misogynistic and part of a deliberate effort to demean and silence Black women who dare to lead.
“Laura Loomer’s racist and misogynistic attacks are more than offensive. They are part of a deliberate effort to demean and silence Black women who dare to lead.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)WOMEN-LED ORGANIZATIONS STAND UNITED AGAINST RACIST AND MISOGYNISTIC ATTACKS ON BLACK WOMEN LEADERSSection "Organization and Leadership Statements of Support", statements from individual leaders
Why we used this label
The case's reference point is Laura Loomer's remarks about Angie Nixon and other Black women in politics. Gholar calls the attacks racist, misogynistic and a deliberate effort to demean Black women, so we labeled it Condemned.
Laura Loomer used “ghetto” and a gendered slur for Angie Nixon and four other Black women, then defended the wording as describing Nixon’s conduct, race, and ideology. Critics across parties called the remarks racist, sexist, degrading, offensive, or vile.
