From racist and sexist comments to less funding, 4 politicians share their experiences running for office as Black women in Georgia

• David Perdue made racist comments about Stacey Abrams during a midterm campaign event on Monday.
• Black female politicians in Georgia told Insider they face racist and sexist attacks.

On Monday, May 23, former Sen. David Perdue ended his campaign for governor of Georgia with a racist accusation toward Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate, that she was "demeaning her own race."

"Did you all see what Stacey said this weekend?" Perdue said. "She said that Georgia is the worst place in the country to live. Hey, she ain't from here. Let her go back to where she came from. She doesn't like it here."

Perdue's racist comments are just one example of the challenges Black, female public figures face in Georgia, a state with a long history of segregation that has also recently became a hotbed for discussions about America's history of racism.

Georgia has the highest percentage of Black women elected in its state legislature compared to other states. 41 Black women are currently members of the Georgia General Assembly, comprising 17% of the entire state legislature—a national record, according to data from Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics.

Yet Black female politicians face challenges that their white or male counterparts do not.

"I do believe the intersection of racism and sexism is real. Politics is saturated with men, and dominated by white men," Matielyn Jones, who is running for the Georgia State Senate, told Insider. "People have certain ideas of what a politician is and what a politician looks like."

A Black female politician said she was told to "go back to Africa"

Women of color are doubly exposed to remarks based on both their gender and race, from microaggressive comments to outright racism and sexism.

During the 2020 midterm elections, chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson of Gwinnett County, Georgia told Insider she was repeatedly called "sweetheart" and "cutie" by her Republican white male opponent.

Hendrickson, who campaigned during a time of civil and racial unrest in the wake of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, said she received outright racist messages on social media.

"I was called the n-word, the b-word, a 'Black b----,'" Hendrickson said. "When I incorporated the Black Lives Matter movement in my outreach and attended protests, that made them even more upset. They called me a Marxist, a commie."

She said she also received voicemails telling her to "go back to Africa." Hendrickson looks back at her experience on the campaign as one that was emotional and, at times, lonely. "It was an emotional time for me being a Black woman and not having anyone to really talk to, or really vent to who could really understand what that was like," Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson bested her male opponents in 2020, but those attacks didn't stop once she was elected. Last year in May, Hendrickson received a Mother's Day card at the office from a constituent. When she opened it, she read a message that told her to "go back where she came from," and that she was "ruining" her state.

Pushing back against racist and sexist comments can also be turned against Black women.

"If I stand up for myself, I'm seen as being aggressive, unstable, emotional. But men would be applauded for yelling and be deemed passionate and zealous," Lisamarie Bristol, a candidate for solicitor general in Gwinnett County, said, adding that she has to be especially cognizant of her tone and word selection because of these gender biases.

Black female candidates say they're less likely to receive big donations

Black women also face higher barriers to funding because they're often perceived as inexperienced and unqualified, candidates in this year's Georgia midterm elections told Insider.

"I've seen Black men get into races and the money floods in because people believe they have demonstrated their leadership. But with Black women, there's more hesitation, like you have to prove yourself before they'll give," Jones, the Georgia State Senate candidate, said.

Black women raised an average of $309,665 in the 2020 midterms—less than half of what Black men and a third of what white women raised, according to data from OpenSecrets.

Jones added that it's "ironic" and "not an equitable way of running," because "all the ways that Black women can prove themselves cost money."

The relative lack of financial support and access to wealthy donors meant that councilwoman Yterenickia "YT" Bell, who previously ran for mayor of Clarkston, Georgia, had to work multiple jobs to pay for her campaign out-of-pocket, along with donations from close friends and family members.

"It was very hard being told by members of my community that they thought I was too young and didn't have enough life experiences, so they were not going to vote for me," Bell said.

Because she couldn't afford staff, Bell also relied on friends who would volunteer their time, and knocked on doors and conducted social media outreach herself after a full day of work.

Increasing representation can address the inequities minorities face in political races, candidates say

Even once Black women make office, they face constant opposition and criticism.

"Some members of our community can't grasp the fact that a Black woman is leading this county and don't give me credit for earning my seat," Hendrickson said. "They say, 'You only got this position because you're Black, and Black people only vote because of identity politics.'"

In the face of the challenges that minorities disproportionately face—out on the field or in office—Black female politicians emphasized the need to increase representation in the field, to get voters out to the ballot boxes, and to push for legislation that addresses systemic inequity.

"We are largely absent in this space, and it's for a whole host of reasons," Jones said. "Black women need the support and need to be seen as the leaders that we are."