Experts Available: Black Voter Turnout and Impact
In several battleground states, Black voter turnout was key to propelling the Biden-Harris ticket to victory. For analysis of how Black voters mobilized across the country, their impact on the election outcome, and what this could mean for future races - including the upcoming runoff elections in Georgia - these experts are available to comment.
"During the Democratic National Convention in August, Cozzie Watkins of North Carolina said: 'I’ve been doing this for a long time, so let me just be plain: Black people, especially Black women, are the backbone of this party and if we don’t show up, Democrats don’t get elected.'
Black voters, in key states such as MI, WI, GA, and PA seemed to show up for the Biden-Harris Ticket. A majority of these voters reside in Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. Through grassroots mobilization with organizations like Fair Fight and Black Voters Matter Fund, Black women like Stacy Abrams and LaTosha Brown showed us that registering and mobilizing voters is how candidates win elections. With Exit Polls showing that 91% of Black women supported the Biden-Harris ticket, it is clear that Cozzie Watkins was correct."
"It is now better understood that the two-party system creates the illusion of Black political homogeneity. However, one group that we might consider bi-, or perhaps, non-partisan are Black activists. Young Black folks, Black women, and other activists will take a stand on racial inequality no matter which party is in the White House or the state house--a lesson all Americans can take to heart."
"African American voter mobilization for the 2020 election pushed the Biden-Harris ticket to victory. While we should take note of Biden's success at restoring the Democratic "blue wall," we should not ignore that it was built on a Black and Brown foundation. We should also note that Black women are the core of this foundation. 2020 election results suggest a path for Democratic Party dominance in presidential politics for years to come. However, it is an open question whether either party will internalize the lessons the results suggest."
Brown is a scholar of American politics whose work focuses on identity politics, legislative studies, and Black women's studies, using the theory of intersectionality to study topics across multiple disciplines.