A'SHANTI GHOLAR
President, Emerge
Award-winning Podcaster
As a prominent voice in enhancing America's minority representation, A'shanti addresses a variety of ways we can get involved both societally and politically to create a more equitable future. Emerge is a national organization with the mission of preparing and enabling more women to run for public office.
A'Shanti Gholar
A’shanti F. Gholar is the founder of The Brown Girls Guide to Politics, a media platform she created in 2018 to highlight and uplift the underrepresented voices of womxn of color in politics. The Brown Girls Guide to Politics podcast is an award-winning podcast and was featured as one of the top political podcasts by Time Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Vanity Fair to name a few. The podcast is also the winner of the "Best Black Political Podcast" and "Best Informative News Podcast" by the Black Podcasting Awards.
A’shanti is also the president of Emerge, the only organization dedicated to recruiting and training Democratic women to run for office. In this role, she leads the organization and steers its overall strategy and direction, overseeing a national staff as well as affiliates across the country.
For over 15 years, A’shanti has been a grassroots organizer and activist for women, communities of color and progressive causes. She has experience in building coalitions, program development and community and political engagement. A’shanti has served as the National Deputy Director of Community Engagement and Director of African American Engagement for the Democratic National Committee, as the Manager of National Partnerships for United Way Worldwide, as a political appointee in the Obama Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor, and as the Director of Public Engagement for the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee in Charlotte, NC.
A’shanti was named by She The People as one of the women of color in politics who would play an impactful role in the 2020 elections and beyond. She was featured as a political influencer in CQ Roll Call Magazine, named a top woman of color in policy by Walker’s Legacy, and was awarded the “Champion of Equality Award” by Oxfam America. In addition, A’shanti serves as an Equity Advisor for Sephora, as an Advisory Board Member for Global GAIN, and as a Sisters on the Planet Ambassador for Oxfam America.
Speech topics
The Power of Mentorship
In this talk, A’shanti addresses the power of mentorship and how it can take any individuals journey to the next level. As the first Black President of Emerge (the only organization dedicated to recruiting and training women to run for elected office), A’shanti understands shifts required for mentors to meet the moment so that we all work together to prepare the diverse slate of rising young leaders to thrive.
DEI is Not Enough: Centering Equity and Justice
As workplaces become more diverse, it is not enough to simply focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion as a concept. Workplaces must ensure that they are creating places that are equitable and just in reality. In this talk, A'shanti F. Gholar uses her personal journey as a women of color in politcs to discuss how employers can better create environments that will not only attract but retain a multiracial and multicultural workforce.
Building Lasting Coalitions
Data shows that diversity of thought and lived experience is an asset to any organization. A’shanti will share some of the lessons she’s learned engaging diverse communities and building partnerships for the Democratic National Committee and United Way, as well as recruiting female candidates for Emerge. Organizations will learn practical tips for attracting and retaining women and people of color, and how to engage authentically across various communities to accomplish a shared vision.
Podcast
Welcome to The Brown Girls Guide to Politics -- the one stop shop for women of color who want to hear and talk about the world of politics. Host A’shanti Gholar leads conversations with women changing the face of politics. Episodes include interviews with politicians, candidates, and influencers. Get ready for roundtables, analyzing current events, and more!
