Hillary Clinton, looking ahead to the South Carolina primary, is strategically mobilizing black voters during a critical stretch in the 2016 presidential campaign.
The Clinton campaign announced Wednesday that more than 170 prominent African American women leaders have endorsed the former Secretary of State in her bid to become the nation's first female president.
All of these black women will rally African American voters around Clinton's candidacy in the upcoming South Carolina primary on Feb. 27 and March primary states.
The women will serve as surrogates for Clinton, a Democrat, and according to the campaign, they will host debate watch parties, neighborhood meetings, and women-only phone banks.
They will also walk door-to-door to businesses that include beauty salons, barber shops and grocery stores to carry Clinton's message about closing the pay gap for women, fighting for paid family leave, raising the minimum wage, and protecting women’s reproductive rights.
Some of the black women leaders who endorsed Clinton include, actress Angela Bassett; Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, who was killed by police in New York; actress Vivica Fox; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in Florida; Alexis Herman, former Secretary of Labor; Alice Huffman, an NAACP board member; Shonda Rhimes, Executive Producer of the hit television show "Scandal"; actress Holly Robinson-Peete; and Democrats Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington D.C.; Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas; Rep. Maxine Waters of California; and Rep. Donna Edwards of Maryland.
“Hillary Clinton has been fighting for African American women and girls her entire career – and she’s not going to stop now,” LaDavia Drane, Director of African American Outreach for the Clinton campaign, said in a statement.
RELATED: Meet LaDavia Drane, Clinton's Director of African-American Outreach
The announcement comes as Clinton begins campaigning in New Hampshire five days before the Feb. 9 primary and after winning a razor-thin contest in Iowa against Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Democrat from Vermont. Most polls show Sanders leading Clinton by wide margins -- for now.
For his part, Sanders still insists that he can attract a sizable portion of the black vote, but it's a daunting challenge for Sanders considering Clinton has longstanding relationships in the black community, dating back to when her husband, Bill Clinton, was in the White House.
“Hillary knows the reality of women earning less than men, confronting barriers to advancing in the workforce, and politicians interfering with a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions is even starker for African American women," Drane said.
"As president, she’ll implement the right policies to lift us up and move us forward," she added. "Hillary is a friend to the African American community and we’re excited that these respected women leaders will campaign for her in the weeks to come.”
The following list of African American Women Leaders was released by the Campaign:
· Shelvy Abrams, Chair, United Federation of Teachers Paraprofessional Chapter (NY)
· Congresswoman Alma Adams, North Carolina
· Uzo Aduba, Actress
· State Representative Raumesh Akbari, Tennessee
· Mary Armstrong, President, AFT, St. Louis
· Tichina Arnold, Actress
· Diane Babineaux, General Vice President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
· Congresswoman Karen Bass, California
· Angela Bassett, Actress
· Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Ohio
· Denise Berkley, Statewide Secretary of CSEA
· Rev. Traci Blackmon
· State Senator Margie Bright Matthews, South Carolina
· Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington DC
· Congresswoman Corrine Brown, Florida
· Mayor Aja Brown, Compton, California
· Shryll Brown, Fairfield Clerk to Council, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Jeanie Brown-Burrows, Williamsburg County, South Carolina
· Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Browning
· Gizelle Bryant, Reality TV Star
· Ursula Burns, CEO, Xerox
· Laphonza Butler, President, SEIU Local 2015
· Cynthia Butler-McIntyre, Former President, Delta Sigma Theta Inc.
· Valiesha Butterfield-Jones, Political Strategist, Founder of WEEN
· Yolanda Caraway, President and CEO, The Caraway Group, Inc.
· Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner
· State Senator Karen Carter Peterson, Louisiana
· Asha Castleberry, Iraq war veteran
· Katie Catalon, President of National Beauty Culturists' League, Inc.
· Councilwoman Edith Childs, Greenwood County, South Carolina
· Karen Civil, Social Media Influencer
· Councilwoman Barbara B Clark, Jasper County, South Carolina
· Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, New York
· Retired Brigadier General Julia Cleckley
· Verna Cleveland, Atlanta Olive Oil Company
· Dr. Lady June Cole, President, Allen University
· Elder Rosalyn Coleman, South Carolina
· Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey
· Elsa Collins, Consultant
· Councilwoman Janie Cooper-Smith, Orangeburg County, South Carolina
· Rev. Dr. Karen Smith Daughtry
· Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine, Columbia City, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson, Richland County, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Gail Diggs, Aiken City, South Carolina
· State Representative Chandra Dillard, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Juile-Ann Dixon, Richland County, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Angela Douglas, Chester City, South Carolina
· Hazel Dukes, Past President of the NAACP
· Congresswoman Donna Edwards, Maryland
· Monica Elkins-Johnson, Richland County School Board Member, South Carolina
· Marietta English, President, AFT Maryland
· Leecia Eve, Vice President, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut regions, Verizon
· Rev. Dr. Elaine Flake
· Councilwoman Lillian Flemming, Greenville City, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Gracie Floyd, Anderson County, South Carolina
· Vivica Fox, Actress
· Former Mayor Shirley Franklin, Atlanta, Georgia
· Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, Ohio
· Sybrina Fulton, Mother of Trayvon Martin
· Councilwoman Lottie Gibson, Greenville County, South Carolina
· Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, President, Tennessee State University
· Alice Goff, President, AFSCME COUNCIL 36
· Mayor Jacqueline Goodall, Forest Heights, Maryland
· Councilwoman Pamela Goynes-Brown, Las Vegas, Nevada
· Mayor Miriam Green, Town of Awendaw, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Mary Guy, Chester County, South Carolina
· Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, Decatur, Georgia
· State Representative Laura Hall, Alabama
· Bernadette Hampton, The SCEA President
· State Senator Thelma, Harper, Tennessee
· Retired Navy Captain Gail Harris
· Felicia Henderson, Producer, Writer/Director
· Betty Henderson, Orangeburg County Democratic Party Chair, South Carolina
· State Representative Patricia Henegan, South Carolina
· Alexis Herman, Former Secretary of Labor
· Janet Hill, Hill Family Advisors
· Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington DC
· Mayor Barbara Hopkins, Sellers, South Carolina
· Alice Huffman, Board Member, NAACP
· Cathy Hughes, Founder, TV ONE Radio ONE
· Rev. Dr. Jessica Ingram, Pennsylvania
· Lisa Jackson, Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Apple
· Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas
· Letitia James New York City Public Advocate
· Ann-Marie Johnson, Actress
· Dr. Karen Johnson, Maryland
· Lorna Johnson
· Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Texas
· Lorretta Johnson, AFT Secretary Treasurer
· Councilwoman Wilhelmina Johnson, Darlington County, South Carolina
· Ann Jordan, Vice Chairman and Secretary, WETA-TV
· State Representative Arthenia Joyner, Florida
· Councilwoman Liz Zimmerman Keitt, Orangeburg City, South Carolina
· Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Illinois
· Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, Michigan
· Debra Lee, CEO, BET
· Reta Jo Lewis, Former Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs at Department of State
· Bertha Lewis, The Black Institute
· Tanya Lombard, Public Affairs, AT&T
· Valarie Long, SEIU Executive Vice President
· Dr. Sharon Malone, Washington, D.C.
· Samuetta Marshall, Orangeburg County Coroner, South Carolina
· Lucy McBath, Mother of Jordan Davis
· Jeanette McBride, Richland Clerk of Court, South Carolina
· Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City
· Carol McDonald, 76 Words
· Councilwoman Charlene McGriff, Lancaster County, South Carolina
· Bishop Vashiti Mckenzie
· State Representative Mia McLeod, South Carolina
· Mayor Malinda Miles, Mt Rainer, Maryland
· State Representative Helen Miller, Iowa
· Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Wisconsin
· Princess Moss, NEA Secretary Treasurer
· Assemblywoman Dina Neal, Nevada
· Mayor Julia Nelson, Manning, South Carolina
· Ruby Newbold, President, Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees (Michigan)
· Phaedra Parks, Reality TV Star
· Cookie Parker, Founder and President, KMS Software Company
· Dottie Peoples, Gospel Singer
· Mayor Jannquell Peters East Point, Georgia
· Rev. Zina Pierre
· Rosemond Pierre, Former NYC Commissioner for Domestic Violence
· State Senator Anatasia Pittman, Oklahoma
· Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, New York
· Dr. Letitia Plummer, Maxwello Dental Inc
· Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley, Councilwoman, Boston Massachusetts
· Kelly Price, Singer
· Councilwoman Lessie Price, Aiken City, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Carolyn A Prince, Marlboro County, South Carolina
· Patricia Pringle, Clarendon County Auditor, South Carolina
· Becky Pringle, NEA Vice President
· State Senator Catherine Pugh, National Black Caucus of State Legislators, President, Maryland
· Elder M. Charmaine Ragin, South Carolina
· Rene Redwood, CEO, Redwood Enterprise
· Councilwoman Patsy Rhett, Bowman City, South Carolina
· Shonda Rhimes, Executive Producer
· Elder Judy Richardson, South Carolina
· Mayor Geraldene Robinson, Eastover, South Carolina
· Brenda Robinson, NEA Arkansas President
· Holly Robinson-Peete, Actress
· Angelique Roche, Political Strategist and Member of the Board of Directors at the Women's Campaign School at Yale University
· Councilwoman Louisiana Sanders-Wright, Aiken County, South Carolina
· Former Councilwoman Bernice G. Scott, Richland County, South Carolina
· Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Alabama
· Former Mayor Lottie Shackelford, Arkansas
· Barbara Sharief, Broward County Commission Commissioner
· Councilwoman Nicole Singletary, Lake City, South Carolina
· Councilwoman Pamela Sloss, Union City, South Carolina
· Dawn Smalls, Partner, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
· Marva Smalls, Nickelodeon and Viacom
· Former Councilwoman Kit Smith, Richland County, South Carolina
· State Senator Pat Spearman, Nevada
· State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, New York
· State Senator Lena Taylor, Wisconsin
· Former State Representative Levola Taylor, South Carolina
· Former Mayor Linda Thompson, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
· Enjoli Timmons, Consultant
· Dorothy Townsend, Southern Regional Director, AFSCME
· First Lady Leslie Tyler, Pennsylvania
· Councilwoman Priscilla Tyson, Columbus, Ohio; NBC LEO President
· Bishop Coretta Vaughn
· Mayor Lovely Warren, Rochester, New York
· Congresswoman Maxine Waters, California
· Mayor Patricia Watson, Wellford, South Carolina
· Melissa Watson, South Carolina Democratic Party 2nd Vice Chair
· Jackie Weatherspoon, US Civil Rights Commission to the State Advisory Committee of New Hampshire.
· Mayor Karen Weaver, Flint, Michigan
· Former Representative Wilma Wellington, Colorado
· Beatrice Welters, McLean, Virginia
· Former State Representative Lucille Whipper, South Carolina
· Sylvia White, Attorney
· Linda Whitlock, Board of Trustees, Brandeis
· Councilwoman Ann Williamson, Rock Hill, South Carolina
· Jamia Wilson, Activist and Writer
· Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Florida
· Mayor Lisa Yarbrough-Gauthier, East Palo Alto, California