Blacks in Leadership: Ny Whitaker Works To Get More Representation In The Political Space
Ny Whitaker is a White House Presidential Appointee, CEO, Professor and Consultant. She works to get women elected to public office. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARSHA ZORN.
Ny Whitaker grew up watching her parents stand in solidarity with healthcare workers, transit workers, labor and the union movement. It sparked an interest in policy, public affairs and government.
In fourth grade, she got the nickname “Whitaker White House,” after running for class president. Years later, she would become a White House appointee. Watching President Barack Obama during a Democratic National Committee Convention changed the trajectory of Whitaker’s life. She currently serves as Executive Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy in The Berkshires. She also is the Founder and Chief Strategist at PROJECT NYNE PRODUCTIONS.
Whitaker was in Chicago for the Obama Foundation Democracy Forum in 2023. She said it was great seeing how connected all of the alumni and people who came to policy work through the Obama administration are working to make the world a better place.
“It’s just been amazing to see how they still continue to be impactful in so many ways. It’s almost like it’s in our DNA now, all of us, that have been in the space with them, that have had the opportunity to work with, and serve with them, that I do believe we’re going to usher in great changes in the years to come and put our country on a better path,” Whitaker said.
Mentorship is something that Whitaker believes is very important. She is a professor at NYU, where she mentors, she also mentors in her community, particularly women of color. She believes it is important to have mentorship and scholarship to succeed – in the corporate, nonprofit and entrepreneurial space. She said it is important to see someone who looks like you who has a similar story to share of their experiences in order to gain wisdom and insight.
In the past few years, Whitaker has helped more than 22 women run for office and win. She was the Executive Director of Emerge, which trains Democratic women to run for office across the country. She also has been the Women Votes Director for the New York State Democratic Party, as well as New York State Co-Chair for Vote Mama, an organization that is committed to increasing the representation of mothers in public service, government and elected spaces. As a Senior Advisor for the DNC and the Biden campaign, she often works with women who are interested in running for office on all levels of government.
“It will be very interesting to see what the fruits of the labor are of all of us in the movement and to make sure we increase representation for women, and particularly women of color, in our elected spaces will be able to yield, particularly in 2024,” Whitaker said.
An increase in the number of Black women and women of color in elected spaces is important to Whitaker because she ran for office before. At the time, she didn’t feel there was a network she could talk to. She was a mother with a young son. She lost by nine votes and she was wondering what she could do differently. Still committed to doing the work in her community, she sought out other women who were leaders in public service, elected officials, in the nonprofit and corporate space, with the goal to building a kitchen table cabinet. Those women helped her move forward to help her pursue her dreams and she wanted to pay it forward.
When it comes to the most important social issues at the moment, Whitaker said it is our Democracy and increasing access to economic opportunities and increasing access to healthcare. She believes if you are well, you can do well.
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