Sarah Mirk (Sarahmirk)SourceCC BY-SA 4.0Original image retained; resized only. Image reused under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Melanie L. Campbell is President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, a national civil rights organization founded in 1976 that works to increase civic engagement and voter participation in Black and underserved communities. She is also Convener of the Black Women's Roundtable, the coalition's leadership and empowerment program for Black and underserved women and girls. She serves on advisory councils including the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Initiative and chairs the board of Sisters Lead, Sisters Vote.
Role at the time: President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, in a joint statement of women-led organizations published by Higher Heights for America
Condemned
Statement summary
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation president and CEO Melanie Campbell said verbal attacks on Black women's leadership are ignorant and unacceptable and must not be accepted or normalized.
“This type of ignorant and unacceptable verbal attack against black women’s leadership must not be accepted or normalized. This is not only an attack against black women, it is an attack against all women.”
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. Campbell calls the verbal attacks on Black women's leadership ignorant and unacceptable, 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.
