Skip the blue bracelet. This activist explains how to be an ally to Black women after the election

As the dust settles on the 2024 election results, there is much talk about traditionally left-leaning voters who shifted to the right, helping to re-elect former President Donald Trump. But there are some groups where Vice President Kamala Harris dominated Trump — particularly among black women, who supported Harris by a 78% majority.

However, black women only make up 6% of the electorate. And in the wake of Harris’ loss, many of them are speaking out and voicing their frustration with the Democratic Party, the left in general, and the women who supported Donald Trump in particular.

Adiba Nelson, an author, speaker and activist, is among the group of black women outraged by the election results. Nelson joined the show to talk about, among other things, feeling betrayed by white women who didn’t consider the needs of her community when voting.

Full conversation

ADIBA NELSON: And I saw something on the news and they were talking to white women and asking them who they were voting for and why they were voting. And this one woman said, ‘I know she talks a lot about reproductive rights, abortion care, and women’s rights, but that doesn’t really affect me or concern me at this point in my life.’ So it’s not that big of a deal.”

And I think that’s a big part of how we got here.

SAM DINGMAN: This makes me think about the so-called Blue Bracelet movement.

NELSON: Mister.

DINGMAN: Can you tell us what that is? It seems to me – there is some criticism of this – that this is an initiative somewhat aimed at me.

NELSON: And I can’t say the things I want to say because it’s public radio. If I leave it clean, the FCC will fine you.

Basically, I shouldn’t laugh because I’m sure it was thought up with the best of intentions. But it’s just such a misstep. It’s about the idea that you can wear something to identify yourself as safe. And when you wear a blue bracelet, black people know, “Hey, you’re safe with me.” I’m not like her. I’m a safe person.”

DINGMAN: “You” are a Trump voter?

NELSON: Yes. And it is performative. It says: “I. I’m safe. Come talk to me.” A blue bracelet won’t change anything. Take off your blue bracelet and talk to your friends who don’t think like you. Have awkward dinner conversations.

DINGMAN: Right. From the way you describe it, it strikes me that it makes the person wearing the bracelet feel better, not the person who is falling victim to the forces to which the blue bracelet supposedly represents a lack of belonging signaled.

NELSON: Right. Do you still remember the time when the show “MADtv” existed?

DINGMAN: Yes.

NELSON: And there is this character. I think his name was Stewart. I think his character was essentially meant to be like an overgrown child. And every time he did the smallest little thing that had no consequence and meant nothing, he would come to you and say, “Look what I can do!”

This blue bracelet reminds me of that. “Look what I can do!” And I think I don’t. That means nothing to me.

DINGMAN: Well, can I ask you, Adiba, how do you think about politics, let’s say more structurally?

NELSON: Well, I was a Harris voter, but I’m not a Democrat. I am an independent voter. The Democrats as a whole lost my guaranteed, if you want to call it that, vote a few years ago when they basically assumed that they would always have the black vote and the Latino vote, and they said so. As they literally said, “Well, we have this. Polls.”

No no. We are not always a given. We are not a monolith. You all know that. It feels more like both parties are trying to see who can outdo the other. Instead of asking who can work the hardest for the American people.

DINGMAN: We’ve seen a lot of reports after the election about conversations within the Democratic Party that suggest that the elders of the party, the most powerful people in the party, feel that Democrats have focused too much on LGBTQIA+ issues or issues of racial justice.

These are seen as “too woke” and there is an idea that there needs to be a refocus on economic issues. Have you seen these reports and what are you thinking about?

NELSON: I have to say: If you don’t believe that economic problems affect every single one of these communities, you’re already lost. When you look at the disabled community – they are among the poorest of the poor – the things they need often cost the most. If you look at the LGBTQIA+ community – whether it’s healthcare, whether it’s security economics, that’s part of it.

The economy touches every single community, especially marginalized communities. If you want to call it “woke,” call it “woke.” But wake up. Wake up. This is the world we live in.

These are not the good old days. It will never go back to the good old days because the good old days weren’t good for everyone. And if that’s what they want to return to, then the question is, is it different from the Republican Party?

DINGMAN: Well, you’ve alluded to this before, but I’d just like you to elaborate a little bit: What would you personally recommend to someone who, perhaps mistakenly, has put on a blue bracelet and really believes that they do something that is useful? What do you think would be more useful for this person?

You mentioned the idea of ​​having a difficult conversation at the dinner table, but what other concrete steps would you like people to take instead of what you call a more performative version?

NELSON: Find a community organization that actually does the work you think your blue bracelet will do for you. Ask a black woman if you make her feel safer because you wear a blue bracelet, and be prepared for whatever answer you get. If so, great. If so, absolutely not, be prepared. Regardless of whether we have known you all our lives. As if I had to Know you I know you as my white friend and I say, “Yeah, we’re cool.”

And I remember the feeling of walking into Trader Joe’s in 2016 and thinking, “Mmm, I don’t know if we actually believe in the same things just because we reach for the same round of goat cheese.” Bracelet saw as we reached for the goat cheese, it just tells me you’re really good at wearing blue bracelets.

DINGMAN: Yes. Now, if I understand you correctly — and tell me if I’m misinterpreting — there’s a big presumption on the part of the left that black women in particular will be taking on a lot of the workload largely on behalf of the Democrats.

It sounds like you’re asking white women in particular to take the extraordinary steps that they may have expected or suspected that black women used to take to try to understand things a little deeper.

NELSON: You do the work we did. We’re hanging up the cloak, so to speak. I can’t tell you how to act more effectively. But I can ask you to ask yourself this question: How does your blue bracelet actually change the lived experience of someone you want to alert that you are safe?

If you can’t enumerate how this blue bracelet actually makes a difference in someone’s daily life experience, then it’s pointless. It does not matter. It’s a fashion statement.