Holding our government accountable is as much our right as voting is. In swing states like North Carolina, Black voters play a crucial role in election outcomes, especially for the Democratic Party. For decades, the Democrats have pandered to Black voters in an effort to win. Time and time again, we are promised police reform, voting rights for former felons, increasing funding for historically Black colleges and universities, lower Black unemployment rates and more, only to be let down.
It is no wonder Black people are fed up with politicians appealing to Black issues solely to win, just to disregard them once they do. It is also part of the reason Black voter turnout has decreased over time.
Black people should call out political parties for not standing on their word. However, your opinions aren’t as justified if you aren’t actually voting.
In January of this year, Black American voters were projected to make up 14 percent of all eligible United States voters in November — up from 13.5 percent in 2020. According to data from 2022, North Carolina was number six out of the top eight states with the largest number of Black eligible voters at 1.8 million people. Unfortunately, the polls aren’t reflective of this. Compared to the 2020 presidential election, Black early voter turnout in North Carolina has dropped by almost 40 percent.
With an impact just as significant as any other state, why are our numbers dropping during such a pivotal election? The decrease in Black early votes can’t be accredited to one simple answer, but there are many speculations. There are two main arguments: a lack ofsupport from Black men for Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s push for Republicans to vote early — more than they have previously.
A party that needs work is still better than voting for a candidate who is racist, sexist, denies rights and plans to take away education — the complete opposite of everything our ancestors stood for. As vice president, Kamala Harris has worked hard to gain funding for historically Black colleges and universities (as a Howard University alumna), lower Black unemployment and fix health care costs, and has continuously proven that her promises are not empty words.
If voting for a woman is the problem and you need a man to tell you, listen to the words of Barack Obama: “women in our lives have been getting our backs this entire time.”
Not voting at all is an even bigger slap to the face of those who risked their lives to cast their vote and secure your future spot. Your frustrations are heard and understood, but our ancestors didn’t fight for the right to vote just for us to wait for the “perfect candidate” — a candidate who is never coming, by the way.
Despite the numbers, there is still hope and time for the Democratic Party to turn things around. Democrats need to do everything in their power to reach Black voters and groups they normally don’t go for, like suburban and rural voters. The best way to do this is to fulfill their promises by committing to supporting the Black community with tangible results instead of just using us.
