Will young Blacks vote in 2024 or not? Some contend Black voter apathy poses a threat to Black life. Others argue elected officials need to do better at earning Black votes.
Finally, there is consensus between progressives and conservatives, amongst Democrats and Republicans – no one is excited about a 2024 presidential election that’s a 2020 election redo between President Joe Biden and four times indicted, 91 felony counts-facing, twice impeached Donald Trump.
But here we are.
Moreover, surveys, polls and one-on-one conversations reveal a growing number of eligible Black voters tapping out of the process, declaring they’re not voting come November for a myriad of reasons
Some social scientists describe this current phenomenon as “growing voter apathy.” Others label it something else. But whatever it’s called, the question remains – how does this current lack of Black voter enthusiasm stand to negatively impact our families, communities and overall lives?
Message disconnect
Though the Biden/Harris administration frequently run down a litany of tangible accomplishments regarding moves meant to meet the needs of Black people (appointing a Black woman to the SCOTUS, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson; forgiving sizeable amounts of student debt; etc., the message may not be getting through.
So, the messaging persists.
In February, the White House released a special report further spotlighting Biden/Harris “Equity and Opportunity” successes advanced for Blacks and others.
“Over the past three years, President Biden and Vice President Harris have leveraged the full force of the Federal Government to advance racial justice and equity and ensure the promise of America for all communities, including Black Americans, across the country,” the report states. “With the support of these efforts, Black Americans are starting new businesses, creating jobs, buying homes, and taking advantage of increased education opportunities at historic rates—contributing to a 60% increase in wealth compared to before the pandemic. And this boom in wealth creation following the pandemic is helping to drive a historically equitable economic recovery.”
The report continues: “From promoting entrepreneurship to increasing access to homeownership and delivering the lowest Black unemployment rate, from proving it’s possible to reduce child poverty to historic lows to expanding access to quality affordable healthcare, from advancing voting rights and police accountability to ensuring equal access to a high-quality education with historic funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to investing in the future of Black communities.”
But, for whatever reason, many young Blacks are neither feeling the impact of these advancements nor “feeling” them. And for many, it’s translating into a lack of investment in voting.
Young voices
Shekinah Udegbue, a University of Houston student, never thought about becoming a voter because, from her perspective, the candidate “options just seemed terrible.”
“I don’t really feel like voting is impactful because of the system that we have,” said Udegbue. “First of all, I don’t believe in a representative democracy. I feel like a real democracy is more representative of the population rather than an electoral college. I also think our two-party system is not realistic or well-rounded at all because you don’t get to see the full scope of democratic policies. They’re all just made into generalizations.”
Generation Z member Avanti Petithomme proudly declares she’s not a voter.
“I don’t think it matters in very tangible ways. I feel like it’s extremely easy for someone to just lie to get into office. Because of that, the trust I have in the system, I don’t feel compelled to participate in it.”
Udegbue’s UH classmate Amarion Porterie, however, who strongly believes in voting, takes issues with some voting issues.
“The Electoral College is a problem in itself because it really gives us no say in how our presidents are selected,” said Porterie. “Also, the two-party system we currently have is very flawed. I think politics should be more equal and open to everyone, not just Democrats and Republicans.”
Political Scientists weigh in
Local political scientist Dr. Michael O. Adams believes the reported rise of Black voter apathy as coming at the worst possible time.
“Black voter apathy in the upcoming 2024 election poses significant risks to the representation, well-being and empowerment of the Black community,” he said. “It can dilute the political influence of the Black community in regard to descriptive and substantive political representation. Hence, Black voter apathy could lead to the election of candidates who do not look like them or support the interests of the Black community. Moreover, a lack of Black political participation can undermine gains made in achieving racial equality and justice. More importantly, 2024 is a presidential election year and the Black vote could be pivotal in determining the election outcomes in crucial battleground states like Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio.”
Former Houston City Councilmember and current president of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats says Black voter apathy is the wrong characterization of what is happening.
“Black voters are becoming more strategic by not voting or voting for third parties and even drifting toward the Republican Party,” he said, suggesting Black voters are sending a clear message to the Democratic Party that they are tired of being taken for granted and not having their public policy concerns addressed.
Moreover, Robinson asserts current “voter apathy” isn’t just “a Black thang.”
“Voter turnout among most groups of voters, white, Hispanic and Asian is “low,” but for Democrats, Black voter turnout is decisive in electing them, yet they don’t treat it that way year-round and at the tables of power and decision-making. What Muslim Democrats are doing across the nation [voting strategically and demanding elected officials deliver on promises]right now may become a model for Black voters soon.”
Activist speaks
Jeff Johnson, Charles Blow, Pastor Jamail Johnson, Mac Stanley Cazeau during National Urban League 2023 Conference forum in Houston, TX. (Photo: by Aswad Walker)
Much of the conversation surrounding Black voter apathy focuses on a lack of excitement millennials and Gen Zers have for current candidates on local, state and national tickets. But national activist, strategist and commentator Jeff Johnson, unlike many Black voting proponents, chooses not to shame Blacks into voting, but wants them to use a different barometer regarding whether to vote or not.
“There are very few people on the ballot that I like, and I don’t necessarily trust them to do anything beyond what they’ve already shown me that they’re going to do,” he said. “But what I know is three things: laws are going to get passed, money is going to get spent and judges are going to be appointed. Now, I ain’t got to like them, trust them, want to go out to dinner with them, drink with them to know these three things… So, I need to make sure that the money that gets spent at least has the opportunity to get spent on more of the stuff that positively impacts my family. I need to make sure that the laws that get passed, even if they don’t serve me, they don’t kill anybody that I love or rob the people that I love of the stuff they need.
“And I know that I want judges, because I got a lot of folk in my family that’s going before judges, that at the very least see people for who they are versus deciding who people are before they ever open their mouth or hear anything about their case. Those three things are gonna happen whether you turn out or not. I’ve got to make sure that I have a say in who’s spending the money, who’s appointing the judges and who’s passing the laws.”
