New American Majority

New American Majority Graphic

New American Majority is a reference to Steve Phillips's revision of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition strategy.

Carrie Pugh has served as the Chair of the Board of the New American Majority Fund, a project of the Democracy Alliance.

The Strategy

As described in Steve Phillips's 2016 book "Brown is the New White":

"As Obama’s elections showed, the country’s demographic revolution over the past fifty years has given birth to a New American Majority. Progressive people of color now comprise 23 percent of all the eligible voters in America, and progressive Whites account for 28 percent of all eligible voters. Together, these constituencies make up 51 percent of the country’s citizen voting age population, and that majority is getting bigger every single day.

Unity

Amiri Baraka wrote an article for Unity in July, 1984 titled "The Need For a Rainbow Agenda: Force the Democrats to Negotiate" arguing for pushing the Democratic Party towards more progressive policies through the Rainbow Coalition, a political and social movement led by Jesse Jackson in the 1980s.

League of Revolutionary Struggle

From the League of Revolutionary Struggle’s theoretical journal Forward, Spring 1989 edition:

"The Jackson campaign also pointed the way towards a progressive electoral strategy, which the left needs to developas part of its immediate political program. Concretely, this means develop ing strategies to expand and shift the electorate, and breaking the so-called conservative electoral "lock" in the South and Southwest, which has upheld the right-wing edge in the last four presi dential elections.

People of color now approach 30% of the U.S. population. The changing demographics in the U.S. will make oppressed nationalities the majority in California and Texas by the turn of the century, and they will comprise a steadily increasing proportion of the population as a whole.

With increased voter registration and participation, Black, Latino, Asian, poor white and other historically disenfranchised voters can constitute a new, progressive electoral majority. This new electoral majority, with its base in the South and Southwest and key Northern industrial areas, can make the critical difference in future elections. It provides the electoral basis for reversing the right-wing direction of American politics.

Electoral work is thus an important aspect of our work to build the mass movement against the right, and for democracy and social progress."

Emerge America Connection

According to A'shanti Gholar in a Ms. article titled "The Kamala Harris I Know, and What It Could Mean for America" dated July 23, 2024:

"At Emerge, we elect women of the New American Majority: Black, Brown and Indigenous women and women of color, as well as young, LGBTQ+ and unmarried women—a growing force in American politics. And it is happening. Nevada is the first state in the country to have a majority-woman legislature, because of Emerge alums. Across the way in Michigan, Emerge helped flip the House of Representatives in 2022, and now Democrats control both chambers of the Michigan legislature for the first time since 2008. And we have done the same in Colorado, Maine, New Mexico, Virginia and other states."

New American Majority Groups supported by the Movement Voter Project

The Movement Voter Project supported numerous groups including:

• Arizona Coalition for Change / Our Voice Our Vote Arizona

Arizona Coalition for Change (C4C) & its (c)(4) sister organization Our Voice, Our Vote Arizona (OVOV) are member-led organizations based in Phoenix and Tucson committed to advocating for lasting progressive public policies that empower and equip our most vulnerable communities. They focus on building civic and political power in black and brown communities through voter mobilization & turnout, grassroots organizing, leadership development training, voter registration, electing champions into office, and holding elected officials accountable. By putting people first, they develop and lift up the voices of the New American Majority to take on the nations’ most pressing issues.

• Florida Civic Engagement Table

The table encourages collaboration among Florida’s nonpartisan grassroots organizations and provides them with critical tools, training, and strategic support. In addition to developing the capacity of these organizations, they also work on structural reforms to strengthen voting rights and representation for the New American Majority (people of color, single women, youth, and low-income individuals). The Florida Civic Engagement Table is a State Voices fiscally sponsored project.

Issue Areas: Voting Rights

Constituencies: African American, Arab / Middle Eastern, Asian / Pacific Islander, Latinx, Women, Youth and Students

Group Type: 501c3

Florida

• Pennsylvania Voice

A statewide network of more than 35 organizations that share a vision of full participation and representation of the New American Majority – people of color, young, and single women – in the state. Building power to break barriers to civic participation and centering issues affecting marginalized communities.

Issue Areas: Racial Justice, Voting Rights

Constituencies: African American, Arab / Middle Eastern, Asian / Pacific Islander, Latinx, Muslim, Native American, Puerto Rican, Women, Youth and Students

Group Type: 501c3

Pennsylvania

Democracy in Color podcast

The Democracy in Color podcast, hosted by Aimee Allison, features today’s best and brightest political political leaders, strategists and thinkers of the New American Majority. We’ve featured Senator Cory Booker; Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal; San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim, Stockton, California Mayor Michael Tubbs; BART Director Lateefah Simon; writer Eric Liu; #Goodmuslimbadmuslim co-host Tanzila Ahmed; New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb, and writers Rebecca Solnit and Jeff Chang, among many others. Ellen McGirt, editor of Fortune magazine’s raceAhead, calls it: "The smartest podcast on race I've found in ages. Listen and grow.".