WE THE PEOPLE WIN: When Black Women Lead, Democracy Wins
black women Engage
Black women remain at the center of every major issue shaping America's future: economic opportunity, healthcare access, civil rights, public safety, education, and representation.
Grounded in the NAACP's commitment to participation, mobilization, and advocacy, the session challenges attendees to think beyond Election Day and explore how Black women can keep shaping public policy, community priorities, and the future of democracy.
This town hall moves the conversation from participation to power. For generations, Black women have been among the nation's most reliable voters, organizers, advocates, and defenders of democracy. We know Black women vote. The more important question is what Black women should demand from candidates, institutions, and democracy itself.
How to Keep Winning Beyond Election Day
Get Informed
Access the NAACP's civic engagement resources to learn about voting rights, voter protections, and preparing for Election Day. Share these resources with your family, friends, and community networks to help more people make informed decisions about their participation.
Get Engaged
Take action by participating in voter education, volunteering to text or phone bank, and connecting with your local NAACP unit. Continue engaging beyond Election Day by attending public meetings, advocating for your community's priorities, and holding elected officials accountable.
Make a Plan
Check your voter registration, confirm your polling location, and review applicable voting deadlines and options. Make a plan for when and how you will vote, and encourage friends and family members to do the same.
Strengthen Women's Leadership
Support the work of Women in NAACP by advancing mentorship, leadership development, advocacy and civic engagement, health equity, and economic empowerment. Together, we can help create opportunities for women and girls to lead, organize, and make a lasting impact.
Join Women in NAACP
Women in NAACP is a network that advances women's leadership and strengthens our collective impact within the NAACP and across our communities.
Please note: WIN membership is available to active NAACP members. If you are not yet an NAACP member, you must join the NAACP before adding WIN to your membership.
The Work Continues
Voting is not the finish line. Voting is the foundation. Our work continues through education, advocacy, organizing, and community leadership. By sharing resources, supporting one another, and remaining engaged beyond Election Day, we can help build a democracy that reflects the needs and priorities of our communities.
Watch and share this conversation, invite others to get involved, and continue working with Women in NAACP to turn our collective voices into meaningful action.
When Black women lead, Democracy Wins
Our Speakers
Karen Boykin-Towns
Karen Boykin-Towns is a distinguished strategist, accomplished executive, and committed advocate for equity and social justice. With over two decades of leadership across the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors, she brings to her work a breadth of expertise in public affairs, policy, communications, and organizational transformation.
In the nonprofit sphere, Ms. Boykin-Towns serves as Vice Chair of the National Board of Directors of the NAACP and a diamond life member of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. She has been instrumental in driving strategic modernization, diversifying revenue streams, enhancing digital engagement, and advancing mission-driven impact. She also serves on the board of VNS Health, one of the nation's largest not-for-profit home and community-based health care organizations.
L. Joy Williams
L. Joy Williams is a seasoned political strategist, civic leader, and dynamic speaker with a passion for empowering individuals and communities to engage in the democratic process.
As President of the New York State NAACP Conference of Branches, L. Joy is dedicated to advancing civil rights, advocating for social justice, and creating lasting change in her community. Her leadership also extends to her role as Chair of Higher Heights PAC, where she works to amplify the political voice of Black women across the nation.
Through her work, L. Joy has built a reputation for delivering impactful speeches, training sessions, and workshops that inspire action. Whether leading discussions on policy reform, advocating for racial equity, or facilitating conversations on civic engagement, her voice resonates with audiences across the country.
Shavon Arline-Bradley
Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley serves as the President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), marking a historic milestone as the first person to hold this title in the organization's history. Since taking the helm in March 2023, she has led a three-million-member network into a new era of political advocacy and generational growth.
Under her visionary leadership, the Council successfully hosted and executed the Washington, D.C. Freedom to Learn activation in partnership with African American Policy Forum, a massive mobilization dedicated to protecting Black history and educational equity against national censorship eƯorts. Central to her legacy is the creation of the Bethune-Cookman Changemakers Pathways, NCNW signature program designed to bridge the gap between education and industry by providing mentorship and high-level career opportunities to collegiate Black women. Her presidency has also overseen a historic surge in youth engagement, with over one hundred active campus sections established nationwide.
Ayanna Pressley
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) is an activist, a legislator, a survivor, and the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Throughout her career as a public servant, Congresswoman Pressley has fought to ensure that those closest to the pain are closest to the power - driving and informing policymaking.
Throughout her time in Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has been a champion for justice and healing: reproductive justice, justice for immigrants, consumer justice, justice for seniors, justice for workers, justice for survivors of sexual violence, justice for the formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, and healing for those who have experienced trauma.
Abiola Agoro
Abiola Agoro is an NAACP award-winning disruptor, educator, organizer, strategist, and visual artist with a focus on racial justice, history, mental health, and disability. Abiola engages her community in the deconstruction of complex topics with the support of her 7 dogs that serve as teaching aides - and sometimes distractions. Through her non-traditional approach, Abiola has been able to reach millions of people online and in person, creating a new level of accessibility through short-form education and guiding questions. Her work erases the barriers between institutional structures by blending what it means to organize, strategize, and create to push towards a liberation-minded world in the face of systemic inequities.
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
A force at the intersection of culture, justice, and policy, Brittany Packnett Cunningham drives transformation as the Founder and Principal of Love & Power Works, a social impact agency catalyzing change across industries and communities.
She currently serves as Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer of Children's Defense Fund, and as Host and Executive Producer of the acclaimed UNDISTRACTED podcast, the Webby's Best Belonging and Inclusion podcast of 2026. Her TED Talk, "The Revolution of Confidence," has captivated over 8 million viewers worldwide and ranks among 2019's top ten most influential talks. Her voice resonates through the pages of New York Magazine, The Washington Post, and Cosmopolitan, with her debut book, "We Are Like Those Who Dream: Black Women's Blueprint for a New Power," forthcoming from One World/Random House. Brittany has contributed vital perspectives to audiences across the globe, including at the famed Oxford Union, documentaries like Netflix's Amend, and television shows like HBO's Pod Save America.
Thank you to the Chair of WIN, Karen Boykin-Towns, our moderator, President L. Joy Williams, and our panelists, U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, Abiola Agoro, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and Amari J. Fennoy, for sharing their perspectives and helping move this conversation from reflection to action.
Women in NAACP is committed to strengthening women's leadership, advancing advocacy, and addressing the social, economic, political, educational, and health issues affecting women and children. This conversation reflects that mission and the importance of ensuring Black women have the resources, opportunities, and support to lead in their communities.