Emerging as President

What’s New With A’shanti F. Gholar?

A new opportunity emerges for this fierce #Firestarter

When I think about #Firestarters who help others find their fire, A’shanti F. Gholar is one of the first people who come to mind.

You might remember A’shanti from my profile of her back in 2018. Well, a lot has happened since then, so I wanted to update you on how this incredible #Firestarter is spreading her spark even farther than before.

To start with, A’shanti has a brand-new gig. And it’s as sweet one. In January, the organization Emerge America announced that A’shanti would be its new president. She comes to her new role after serving as Emerge America’s political director.“I am truly honored and humbled to continue to serve this network of amazing women and supporters in a new capacity,” A’shanti said on Twitter.

The organization’s mission is recruiting and training Democratic women to run for office — and win. Party luminaries like Cory Booker and Hillary Clinton publically congratulated A’shanti for her new role.

As she leads Emerge America, A’shanti has her work cut out for her. As the organization said on its blog: “Even now, after the 2018 primary election that placed an unprecedented number of women and LGBTQ+ candidates in office, only a fraction of our nation’s racial and gender makeup is reflected in our governmental representatives.”

But there’s no better woman for the job. Besides her work with Emerge America, A’shanti also created The Brown Girls Guide to Politics, a website and podcast to lift up women of color in politics.

I’m especially excited about another one of A’shanti’s recent projects. She contributed a special message to my upcoming book. “Find Your Fire: Stories and Strategies to Inspire the Changemaker Inside You.” I know you’ll be as bolstered and inspired by her words as I was. To be among the first to read them, be sure to pre-order your copy of “Find Your Fire.” You’ll get a special discount and a free preview sent immediately to your inbox.

Are You Ready to Run?

I don’t want you to wait, though, to start building your movement. And if that means running for office, Democratic #Firestarters can find a wealth of resources through Emerge America.

Not on that side of the aisle? No worries. Remember, we need #Firestarters from across the political spectrum. Here are some additional resources for women interested in running for office:

Congratulations again, A’shanti. I am so grateful for all of the new #Firestarters you will help create!