Minyon Moore

Minyon Moore

© Image Copyright: Slowking4

Overview

* Political consultant with the Dewey Square Group, a D.C.-based Democrat consulting firm
* Worked for Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns and his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
* Served a stint as Chief Operating Officer of the DNC
*Held various key positions in the Bill Clinton administration
* Served as an advisor to the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama
* Admires the Communist revolutionary Angela Davis
* Strong supporter of Kamala Harris
* Embraces the tenets of Critical Race Theory
* Board member of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation


Background

Minyon Moore was born on May 16, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois. As a college student, she studied Sociology in night school at the University of Illinois Chicago while simultaneously working as an assistant to the Vice President of Advertising at Encyclopedia Britannica. Moore left the university in 1982 without having earned a degree.

Working for Jesse Jackson, Harold Washington, & Michael Dukakis

After her time at the University of Illinois Chicago, Moore took a job with Jesse Jacksons Chicago-based nonprofit, Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), where she served as an assistant to a woman named Willie Barrow, an intersectionality activist who would later become a mentor to Barack Obama.

Moore was a youth organizer for Harold Washington’s 1983 mayoral campaign in Chicago. In subsequent years, she served as a volunteer and advisor to Jesse Jackson during his failed presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988. After Jackson’s 1988 White House bid was shut down, Moore became a National Deputy Field Director for the campaign team of Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis.

The “Colored Girls”

From the unsuccessful Jackson and Dukakis campaign teams of 1988, there emerged a politically powerful cohort of five black women, collectively self-described as the “Colored Girls: Minyon Moore, Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Tina Flournoy. Each of these political operatives would go on to become influential figures in Democratic Party circles for decades to come. Although not officially considered a member of the group, Susan Rice worked alongside the “Colored Girlsduring the Dukakis campaign and similarly went on to secure prominent roles in future Democratic administrations.

Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

From 1989 to 1993, Moore was the National Deputy Political Director of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

Leadership Positions with the DNC

In 1993, Moore joined the DNC on a full-time basis and spent two years working extensively on voter initiative projects, including positions as Director of Public Liaison and Director of Constituency & Outreach. Before long, she was promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff and finally, in 1995, to Political Director of the DNC, becoming the first black person to hold that position.

Positions in the Bill Clinton White House

After working for the victorious 1996 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton, Moore joined the Clinton White House in 1997 as the Deputy Director of Politics and as an Assistant to the Director of Public Liaison. By 1998, she had become the White House Director of Public Liaison, and from 1999 to 2001 she served as the White House Director of Political Affairs.

By the end of the Clinton presidency, Moore had gained considerable influence within the Democratic Party. As a White House senior official, she became a close confidant to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as an ally to many of the administration’s power players.

Chief Operating Officer of the DNC

Moore served as the Chief Operating Officer of the DNC from 2001-2002.

The Dewey Square Group

Moore left the DNC in 2002 to become a public affairs consultant for the Dewey Square Group (DSG), a major Washington, D.C.-based Democrat consulting firm where she has worked ever since. 

America Coming Together

In 2003, Moore was a co-founder of Americans Coming Together, a George SorosPeter Lewisfunded political action committee dedicated to thwarting President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election bid.

Ally of John Kerry

In 2004, Moore aided Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry with minority outreach.

Women Building for the Future

As a board member with the newly created Women Building for the Future PAC, Moore also spent 2004 attempting to increase African American women’s political involvement.

Advisor to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 Presidential Campaign

Moore was a senior advisor to Hillary Clinton during the 2007-2008 Democratic presidential primaries. In particular, she counseled Mrs. Clinton – who was running a hotly contested campaign against then-rival Barack Obama — on how to effectively win the hearts and minds of black voters. In January 2008, Moore claimed that the former First Lady had a “track record” of supporting African Americans: “She has spent the majority of her life working for poor families, poor children, [and] fighting for the principles that Martin Luther King stood for.”

Graduate of Digital Film Making Program

In 2011, Moore graduated from Boston University’s Digital Film Making Program.

Advisor for Barack Obama’s 2012 Campaign

In 2012, Moore served as an informal advisor to mobilize black voters for President Obama’s re-election campaign.

Helping Isiah Thomas Launch a Talk Show

In 2013, Moore helped former NBA executive and Hall of Fame player Isiah Thomas launch a talk show on the cable television network Cinemoi North America.

Procuring Illegal Funds for Hillary Clinton Voter Mobilization

In 2013 and 2014, reports emerged that during Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, Moore had sought and secured more than $600,000 in illegal funds from Jeffrey E. Thompson — to pay for “street teams” that conducted secret “get-out-the-vote” efforts on Clinton’s behalf in four key primary states.[1]  These teams distributed political campaign materials which were illegally funded by money that was not reported to the federal government — a violation of U.S. election laws. Upon the story’s release, DSG — which had previously been paid $420,000 by the Clinton campaign for its consulting services — issued a statement asserting that Moore “was entirely unaware of any inappropriate activities” which may have been committed by her campaign team. In March 2014, The Washington Post noted that “pursuing charges against Moore could be difficult … because the five-year statute of limitations has expired.” In February 2016, The Washington Free Beacon reported: “Moore was not charged in the scheme, but court documents indicate that she helped find funding for the shadow campaign and provided organizers with internal information and official materials.”

Advisor to Hillary Clinton’s Failed 2016 Presidential Campaign

In 2015-16, Moore – who had previously been described by Politico as Hillary Clinton’s “political eyes and ears” — served as an informal advisor to Mrs. Clinton in her latest bid for the presidency. After Moore appeared with Clinton and black business owners in Nevada shortly before the Super Tuesday primary races of February 2016, the Clinton team refused to state whether or not Moore was officially being paid by the campaign. A spokesperson from DSG clarified that “Moore is not being paid directly or by Dewey Square Group to work on the campaign.” Moore was later among the 19 superdelegates from Washington, D.C. to vote for Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in June 2016.

Following Mrs. Clinton’s defeat in the November 2016 presidential election against Donald Trump, Moore applauded the losing candidate’s efforts in a piece for The Daily Beast:

Over the years we’ve learned to marvel at Hillary’s resilience and strength…. Many people have asked, how does she do it? Where does she draw the strength? How does she get back up after all she has gone through? What causes her to continue to fight for the values we all hold so near and dear? Maybe it can be found in her quiet and steely Methodist upbringing where she was taught to ‘do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’ Maybe her resilience and can-do spirit trace back to her mother….

Just as she has often imagined what it was like to walk in her mother’s shoes, Hillary has often asked us to imagine what it is like to walk in someone else’s shoes. And as much of the nation is still trying to figure its way back to a hopeful place, we may want to imagine what it must be like to walk in Hillary’s shoes, sometimes against amazing odds. And as you imagine that, imagine a person who is still hopeful about the future of America; still caring about the dreams and hopes of a brighter tomorrow for our young people.

Imagine the workers who believed they had a champion. Imagine her continuing to stand up for the dignity of every child, family, and human being who is seeking a better life. Imagine her wondering if women will lose the freedoms they have come to enjoy, or whether equal pay for equal work will become just a slogan? But imagine her continuing to fight for women and girls around the globe, promoting their health, safety and well-being. Imagine the mothers of the movement who saw a champion in Hillary Clinton because she saw their sons and daughters. Imagine the little girl who wept in Hillary’s arms, fearful she might lose her parents. Then imagine the communities that are no longer invisible because she saw them.

Just imagine Hillary Clinton, rested and re-energized, continuing to use her voice, and her massive platform to speak about issues that are important to us all. Just imagine her still representing our interest at home and abroad. Just imagine those 66 million lights, each with a voice, ready to promote the ideals of [a] fairer and just society. And, let us imagine the history she will continue to make and the barriers she will continue to break down.”

Co-Founder of Power Rising, & Ties to Angela Davis

In 2017, Moore co-founded Power Rising (PR), an initiative aiming to help “Black women to turn power into action and create an actionable agenda to be implemented in their communities and nationally that leverages our social, political, professional, cultural and economic power and influence for the betterment of ourselves, our communities and our country.” Power Rising and Moore both had noteworthy ties to the lifelong Communist revolutionary Angela Davis:

  • In a 2018 post on Facebook, for instance, Power Rising approvingly cited a quote in which Davis had said: “As a black woman, my politics and political affiliation are bound up with and flow from participation in my people’s struggle for liberation, and with the fight of oppressed people all over the world against American imperialism.” 
  • The 2018 book, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics — which Moore co-authored with Donna BrazileYolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Veronica Chambers — likewise quoted Davis approvingly, though in a different context.
  • In 2020, Moore signed her name to an open letter titled “Top Black Women Leaders Denounce Racist, Sexist Attacks Against VP Candidates,” which stated that “we are indebted to women like … Angela Davis.”
  • In 2020 as well, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, of whom Moore was a devoted supporter, gave the keynote speech at PR’s virtual “Fixed on Freedom” summit.

Supporting Ayanna Pressley

During the 2018 Democratic primary season, Moore supported the campaign of then-candidate Ayanna Pressley, who was seeking to unseat incumbent Democrat Michael Capuano for Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Represntatives.

Reminiscing about Barack Obama

The aforementioned 2018 book that Moore co-authored — For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics —  noted that when the “Colored Girls” had first met together with then-Senator Barack Obama, they were left with their “mouths slightly ajar” when he suggested that “race won’t be an issue” should he run for president. Reflecting on that occasion, Moore and her co-authors wrote of Obama:

[He] was an incredibly confident person … and the women were eager to hear from the senator from Illinois. While he didn’t have the relationships that Hillary had with many in the room, he displayed a certain comfortability — like he belonged. We were eager to hear his vision and eager to get to know more about him. We were also deeply concerned about how race would be handled with his candidacy. Some of that was born out of experience and fear. I remember when he said, ‘Race won’t be a problem.’ Many saw that as naïve on the one hand, but others thought, ‘Maybe he will be able to deal with America’s greatest sin… race in America as a biracial American.’ What stood out for [us] that night….[was that] Obama, while he didn’t have the knowledge base the others had, he had something that continues to carry him forward to this day: he believed in himself, and he believed in the American people, and sometimes that is enough. He was an idea whose time had come.”

Advisor to Kamala Harris

In 2019, Moore helped advise Kamala Harris during her failed run for the Democratic party’s 2020 presidential nomination. 

Petitioning Joe Biden to Select a Black Woman as His VP Running Mate

In 2020 as well, Moore petitioned then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to select a black woman as his running mate. CNN quoted her as saying: I have worked to elect White men, Black men, brown men and White women. But for me right now, I feel like investing in a woman who just happens to be Black and immensely qualified is where I want to be at this time in my life. I want to see myself.”

Lauding Biden’s Selection of Kamala Harris for VP

In August 2020, Moore supported Biden’s choice of then-Senator Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate. “We all believed that Kamala Harris was the right person for this job,” Moore said of her fellow black, female political strategists. She had more qualifications than a lot of people on the list. She was battle-tested. She brings the experience that [Biden] needs to serve as his No. 2.” “I don’t know if the vice president [Biden] will ever know what he did for a group of women who stand in the shadows of America, Moore added. “He has decided to write us into history. My nieces will see this — and generations to come.[2] 

In October 2022, Moore stated that it was after Hillary Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 presidential election, that she (Moore) had begun to work aggressively to get Kamala Harris on the 2020 ticket as Joe Biden’s vice presidential running mate. We [black women] kept asking ourselves the question — why do we keep showing up for other people? Why aren’t we showing up for ourselves?” Moore said. “So we began to really mobilize and think about our vote strategically, and thus we have a vice president in the White House. … That wasn’t like we just showed up and decided that, ‘OK, we want a black woman.’ We strategized about that, because we understood that in 2020, we could not afford to have black women keep showing up and they saw no receipts.” “More and more,” she continued, “we show up for ourselves, and we’re demanding that people show up for us. Every time I look around, they’re asking for our vote, but what are we getting? So now, we are saying, ‘OK, we’re running, so you’re voting for us too.’” Moore also said that “black women are a voting bloc” and that “we’re gonna have more black women — just wait and see.”

Commending Jen Psaki as Press Secretary

While serving on the Biden-Harris presidential transition team, Moore commended the nomination of Jen Psaki as White House Press Secretary in late November 2020. “When she steps to that mic, she brings not only a sense of gravitas, but fact, transparency, and honesty,” Moore said of Psaki.

The C Street Advisory Group

In September 2021, Axios reported that Moore was a Board of Advisors member of the newly created C Street Advisory Group — described by Axios as “a strategy firm to help CEOs avoid getting ‘canceled’ and to advise companies how to respond to changing cultural norms before they’re faced with a crisis.”

Celebrating Jesse Jackson

In celebration of Jesse Jackson’s 80th birthday in October 2021, Moore and her fellow “Colored Girls” lauded their former boss as a “trailblaz[er]” who had long exemplified “visionary leadership” as “a uniter rather than a divider,” and they went so far as to liken Jackson to the biblical figure Moses.

Promoting Critical Race Theory

Moore embraces the tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT) — the far-left ideology which holds that the United States and Western Civilization at large are systemically unjust against nonwhite minorities. She is also a friend of noted CRT scholar Kimberle Crenshaw, with whom she co-hosted a january 2022 Facebook Live discussion about how leftwing activists could most efeectively “help preach the gospel” of CRT.

Board Member of Black Lives Matter

In February 2022, the Washington Examiner reported that Moore was listed as a Board of Directors member with the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.

Promoting Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court Justice

In February 2022 as well, Moore was a top advisor helping President Biden fulfill his pledge to select a black woman as the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice, replacing the soon-to-be-retired Stephen Breyer. Moore was a strong advocate for the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, and she considered herself to be a part of the “SCOTUS familythat helped Jackson ultimately win confirmation to the Court in April 2022. “We wanted her [Jackson] to understand that she was not in this by herself,” Moore said shortly after the confirmation was announced. “This was a 360 [degree] strategy. You only saw parts of it, but we had an echo chamber around her so she never felt that she was alone in this process.” Describing her feelings about Jackson’s confirmation, Minyon said: “Overjoyed is probably an understatement.” She also referred to Jackson as “a person of deep, deep, deep intellect.”

Footnotes:


  1. By no means was this Thompson’s only involvement in financial illegality. As the Department of Justice reported on March 10, 2014, “Jeffrey E. Thompson pled guilty today to felony charges stemming from a scheme in which he and his companies secretly channeled more than $3.3 million in illegal contributions to at least 28 political candidates and their campaigns.”
  2. Moore had worked with Kamala Harris’ sister, Maya, on the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign of 2016, where Maya served as a senior policy advisor.

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