By the time Warren left the stage at the "She the People" forum, thousands of black women in the audience were on their feet roaring cheers and applauding. The reaction eclipsed the response earlier in the day to Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey — the black candidates in the Democratic contest. It reflected the unlikely traction that Warren is gaining with black women who are debating whom to back in a historically diverse primary.

Black Democratic female candidates who recently prevailed in primaries over established incumbents argue that if Democrats flip the House in November, it would be the result of organization and turnout amount black voters, particularly women. If that happens, the candidates said, gratitude won't be enough. They want a seat at the leadership table and a role in re-examining how the party works.

“The stakes are higher in a lot of instances for us than they are for a lot of other women,” said Tarana Burke, a Black activist who founded the #MeToo movement on Twitter in 2006 to raise awareness around sexual violence. “That creates a dynamic where you have women of colour who have to think a little bit differently about what it means for them to come forward in cases of sexual harassment.”