As a nation, has our thinking progressed on who we consider a viable candidate for political offices, especially as more African Americans run for and are elected for political offices? Or is this just a moment in history?
Amid this election year, Black politicians such as Baltimore’s Mayor Brandon Scott, Maryland’s U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks, Texas’s U.S. Senate candidate Colin Allred, and Vice President Kamala Harris have run for their desired political offices. According to The Baltimore Banner, Maryland is leading the way for other states in electing Black politicians such as Governor Wes Moore and Attorney General Anthony Brown. Black Americans have made strides in mayoral positions in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Houston.
The Reconstruction Era of the U.S. was the start of black electoral participation as slavery was abolished. This is when the first Black congressman in United States history and the majority of Black congressmen were being elected in states like Mississippi, where there are large Black populations. Yet, Assistant Professor of History Dr. Miya Agyemang says the Jim Crow Era brought an end to this Reconstruction at the beginning of the 20th century. Through cultural and legal practices, Black Americans were refused the right to vote.
“So, if you heard about poll taxes or in some places, you had to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar to be able to register to vote, right? Really ridiculous. They knew that would make it nearly impossible for Black people to vote and this is going to make a huge impact in the Southern states, again where there’s this huge Black population,” Agyemang said.
Amid the Jim Crow Era, the Civil Rights Movement emerged as African American activists were not just advocating for the right to sit at a lunch counter or attend a decent school, but to gain the right to vote. Different voting campaigns in the South such as the Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee played a huge role in registering or attempting to register people throughout the South. In the political sphere, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was created by Activist Fannie Lou Hamer to challenge the Mississippi State Democratic Party, which was made up of Southern Dixiecrats who were very committed to maintaining Jim Crow and inequality. The challenge ended up not being successful, but it highlighted the need for reform within the Democratic Party.
After the Civil Rights Era, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 opened the avenue for Black Americans to gain economic power through electoral politics. The nation started to see more Black mayors being elected after the first Black mayor of a major city: Carl Stokes of Cleveland, Ohio in 1967. In 1972, Shirley Chisholm who was the first Black woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress ran for US President. She did not win, but it was significant for a Black woman to be on a major party ticket. After 2020, Agyemang noted that a surge in first Black mayors occurs and she believes that the Black Lives Matter Movement is connected to this surge.
“I mean, there is no way you can’t connect that to the Black Lives Matter Movement, George Floyd, and all these conversations about race happening in 2020 and after. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that we see this really large resurgence in Black mayoral candidates and being elected as the first Black mayor of certain cities, which is not national, but I thought I would add that in,” Agyemang said.
Frederick County Public School Board of Education candidate Veronica Lowe believes that there is a significant shift in the number of Black individuals running for political office due to several factors such as increased representation, grassroots movements, demographic changes, support networks, and changing perceptions. Lowe believes that successful Black politicians like Barack Obama and Kamala Harris have inspired more Black individuals to pursue politics. Additionally, there is a growing recognition of the value of diversity in leadership, leading to more support for Black candidates.
“The rise of leaders like Barack Obama and Kamala Harris has had a profound impact on the political landscape. Their success has demonstrated that Black individuals not only belong in leadership roles but can thrive in them. Seeing people who look like you breaking barriers at the highest levels of government inspires others to follow in their footsteps, fostering greater diversity and representation in politics,” Lowe said.
Agyemang believes since the Civil Rights Era, there has been a steady diverse slate of candidates not only with race, but with women candidates. We are starting to see openly LGBTQIA+ candidates because overtime laws have come into place to allow more people to participate in the electoral process. Lowe believes that the U.S. is becoming more diverse and this is more reflected in the electorate, which increasingly supports candidates who represent their communities.
“America’s changing demographics are being reflected in its politics. As our nation becomes more diverse, voters are looking for representatives who understand their lived experiences. Black candidates bring a unique perspective to the table, and as the electorate seeks leaders who reflect their own communities, we see more Black individuals stepping into political roles to bridge that representation gap,” Lowe said.
According to NBC News, there has been a surge in backlash against DEI initiatives across many states including Florida, Texas, and Utah. Agyemang thinks there is this sense of urgency emerging amongst Black people.
“So, I think for Black people in particular, there is this sense of urgency because there is a rollback in things like the Voting Rights Act, which parts of it have been gutted or if we are thinking of social movements and racial reckoning and seeing the gains of those movements being rolled back, there is this sense of urgency. I think Black people for a long time have seen the power and potential in electoral politics, but I do think now there is this renewed sense of urgency for sure,” Agyemang said.