Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) and Free Speech TV (FSTV) premiered the third episode in the monthly series, Elections 2018 — The Progressive Path Forward: The Power of Women of Color, on Thursday, April 12, at 8:00 pm ET on both MNN-FSTV (Spectrum channel 1301 and FiOS channel 39 for Manhattan viewers or streaming online worldwide at mnn.org) and Free Speech TV (DISH 9415, DIRECTV 348, and streaming on Roku, Apple TV, and freespeech.org).

Watch the full episode here.

Women of color are at the core of the progressive movement and their collective voting power is key to victory in the midterm elections. Now nearly 20% of the population, women of color are emerging as leaders and candidates up and down the ballot. In Alabama, 98% of African American voters supported Doug Jones, and were credited with ushering in the Alabama’s first Democratic Senator in 25 years. Yet the DCCC’s list of endorsed candidates does not include any of the African American women running in competitive primaries. Women of color seeking Democratic Party nominations are the most likely to face contested primaries. How long will Democrats continue to ignore the voices of women of color?

Aimee Allison, former co-host of The Morning Show on Pacifica station KPFA hosts this episode. Produced by Globalvision, taped at the MNN El Barrio Firehouse Community Media Center in East Harlem, this episode is underwritten in part by Democracy in Color, an organization dedicated to empowering the New American Majority through media, public conversations, research and analysis on race and politics. Featured panelists in The Power of Women of Color episode include:

• Sayu Bhojwani (New York City) – NYC’s first Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, founder and president of the New American Leaders Project, and founder of South Asian Youth Action in Queens, NY.
• Kimberly Ellis (Richmond, CA) – Former executive director of Emerge CA, and former candidate for chair of the California Democratic Party.
• State Representative Ponka-We Victors (Kansas, District 103) — A member of the Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona and the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, Ponka-We Victors is the first and only Native American in the Kansas state legislature.
• State Representative Mary González (Texas, District 75) — A third-term state representative, Rep. González is currently serving her first term as Vice Chair for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus. Named “Advocate of the Year” and twice named a “Champion of Equality” by Equality Texas, she is the first openly pansexual elected official in the United States.

This episode also features an interview with Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who could make history as the nation’s first African American female governor.

During the premiere broadcast, MNN (@MNN59) and FSTV (@freespeechtv) hosted a live Twitter chat with Aimee Allison, Rep. Mary González, and Kimberly Ellis; catch up on that conversation by searching Twitter for the hashtag #ProgressivePath18.

Missed the premiere? Check our schedule for upcoming re-air times.