Florida Dems appoint Black woman to head outreach

Brittney Geathers is a FAMU graduate representing millennial leadership

 By Penny Dickerson

The Florida Democratic Party prepares to flip Florida Blue with a new round of hires and promotions. Brittney Geathers, who has been promoted director of African American outreach,  previously served as FDP community engagement director.

Appointing Geathers is part of the Florida Democratic Party’s larger strategy to engage Black communities in voter registration and campaign volunteerism. In this capacity, Geathers will focus on outreach and voter education, along with connecting with state and local elected officials, business leaders, faith-based community and key leaders from counties across Florida.

“African Americans are a vital and valued voting demographic of the Democratic party,” said Geathers. “I’m excited our state party has put unprecedented focus, effort, and resources to reach out to African Americans across the state. I look forward to building coalitions of people and hosting events that engage our community.”

Geathers earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2018 from Florida A&M University and represents a tradition of alumni whose political contributions strengthened the FDP. Among them are Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and congresswoman Carrie Pittman Meek who represented Florida’s 17th congressional district.

Masekela Mandela is president of the Miami-Dade FAMU national alumni association and is not surprised at all by the appointment of a fellow Rattler in this pivotal role.

“FAMU prepares students to succeed globally and in the world at-large,” said Mandela. “Diversity and inclusion are so important, and when you see someone who looks like your ethnicity and represents your stance, it opens doors for a plethora of people to want to navigate the political landscape.”

Terrie Rizzo, chair of the FDP, said an extended part of Geather’s role is to focus on issues such as health care, fair wages, and gun violence.

“We’re excited to have Brittney Geathers bring her considerable talents to our highly energized, Flip Florida Blue campaign,” said Rizzo.

Geathers has a ten-year history of employment and volunteering on local, state and congressional campaigns in Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina. Her background includes a six-month training program provided by the New Leaders Council, a hub for progressive millennial-thought leadership.

According to the council’s website, the NLC equips leaders with the skills to run for office, manage campaigns, create start-ups and networks of thought leaders. NLC leaders take their activism back into their communities and workplaces to impact progressive change.

Geathers is additionally an alumna of DC-based Running Start and has been active with groups including the Leon County Democratic Black Caucus, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Young Democrats, and the NAACP.

Penny Dickerson, Managing Editor is a journalist joining The Miami Times following an Africa sojourn and 10-year freelance career in newspaper and magazine. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Lesley University, and B.A. in Journalism from Temple University.