AKAs

The Coalitions Project Director for The Joe Biden Campaign is a Soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha

With the 2020 election getting closer and closer each day, we at Watch The Yard think it is important to highlight members of our community who are key players in making it happen.

We recently interviewed Jamie Green, the Coalitions Project Director (Online Community Engagement) for the Joe Biden campaign, who is a Fall 2014 initiate of the Epsilon Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Green is currently working in a top leadership role to get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris elected.

We talked to her about her role and how being a member of a Black sorority and a University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduate helped shape her into the person she is today.

Read our exclusive interview below:

What does your position of Coalitions Project Director at the Biden campaign entail?

As the Coalitions Project Director, I am responsible for ensuring that our coalitions directors know where their communities live online and how to best engage with them.

What career path led you to your current position?

I started my career in politics as a Congressional Black Caucus Intern in the spring of 2015. During my time with CBCF, I was a press intern in the office of Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH). After my internship ended, I served in the Office of Congressman Cedric Richmond for two years as a staff assistant and then was promoted to press assistant. After serving my home state for two years, I went on to be a Social Content Manager at the Democratic National Committee. After a year at the DNC, I joined Team Joe as the South Carolina Digital Director, and now, the Coalitions Project Director.

We are getting close to the election, what does a typical work day look like for you?

Meetings! Haha. On a serious note, I start my day off but joining our daily coalitions huddle and assessing their digital needs. Ever since we launched the “teams” feature in our Vote Joe app, I spend a lot of time strategizing with our digital organizers about the best ways to engage with coalitions inside the app.

You are a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. What made you want to join?

Most of the women in my family are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and they’re some of my biggest role models. Once I got to college, there was no question about what sorority I wanted to join. The Elite Epsilon Beta chapter embodied everything about Alpha women that I loved, and I’m so proud of the decision I made.

As you’ve matured in your career and become, looking back, how do you think joining a Black sorority has prepared you for where you are now?

We all can attest to the fact that each of our organizations has prepared us to deal with a lot of personalities. When it comes down to getting to business, AKA prepared me to deal with business first and never let personal feelings get in the way of that.

What advice do you have for people who want to explore working on a political campaign?

Start wherever you can get your foot in the door. Every part of a campaign can teach you something different, and it’s truly an invaluable experience.

What is it like working on the campaign team?

I love this team! Starting in South Carolina was probably the best thing I could’ve done because our team was more of a family than coworkers. Luckily, once I came to headquarters that didn’t change much at all.

Why do you think this election is so important?

This election is so important because it can truly change the course of history. Our country literally cannot take another 4 more years of what’s going on right now. We’ll surely feel the outcome of this election for generations to come.

Why do you think Watch The Yard is important to Black college culture?

Watch The Yard has been able to bring together Black students and alumni from all across the country. As Black people — especially those who went to PWIs — we have very little spaces to bring our whole selves and Watch The Yard has created that space online.