Due to the nature of the article, the interviewees’ identities have been protected. The interviewees, who are all Black males, will be defined by their age demographic, voter status and party affiliation.
Subject A: Age 21, preferred not to state political affiliation, did vote in the 2024 election
Subject B: Age 37, self-described as a “lifelong proud Democrat,” did vote in the 2024 election
Subject C: Age 76, Democrat, did vote in the 2024 election
Subject D: Age 26, Independent, did vote in the 2024 election
Race and gender were heavily focused on in the 2024 Presidential Election as Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, accepted the Democratic nomination on Aug. 5. As discussions of her previous work as the first Black, South Asian and female attorney general of California and Vice President of the United States loomed, so did the worry that those very factors could tank her chances for presidency.
Americans have witnessed how “identity politics” may still significantly affect public appearance. The presence of defining characteristics has a stronghold, so much so that polling results are grouped into those factors: age, race, gender and socioeconomic status. Yet, one demographic has been a prominent topic and seen as a deciding factor in the 2024 election: the Black male.
Now, headlines from The New York Times and USA Today focus on the shift of Black male voters away from the Democratic Party and display Harris’ need for their support to reach the Oval Office. As of Nov. 7, the AP Votecast reports that 74% of Black males voted for Harris, with 24% voting in favor of former President Donald Trump. While many are proud of the polling results in favor of Harris, others believe focusing on party loyalty creates dangerous rhetoric.
“I think both sides are guilty of that, in terms of doing their best to promote this narrative that Black men belong in the democratic party,” said Subject A. As stories of Black voters casting their futures into the hands of Trump cause disagreements and division within the Black community, Subject A believes that is a significant reason for growth on the Republican side. “Largely what I’ve seen is a consistent dangerous rhetoric overall attacking Hispanic men, attacking Black men for choosing to vote independently…”
Subject C also believes the focus on which ring Black men toss their hats into is doing more harm than good. “Now, there have been Black males voting for Trump, but what the media states… I don’t think that is accurate and that it’s on the rise,” states Subject C. “I think it did damage to the Black community; to me, it was more so political rhetoric.”
Political rhetoric or not, the Black male vote did rise in favor of Republican candidates. According to AP News, about “3 in 10 Black men under the age of 45 went for Trump, roughly double the number he got in 2020.” But why?
Subject B, who has experience running for public office in Tallahassee, says it is because campaigns are designed to not fully focus on reaching out to candidates due to stigmas on how they vote. “The Black community is often a sector of the committee that is left out…many consultants advise that you do not want to spend too much time in the Black community because there’s always poor voter turnout,” said Subject B.
Race rhetoric echoes through news media and online has shaped the Black male as the biggest player in the 2024 election, yet 47% of the Latino male vote being cast towards Donald Trump pushed him towards victory. Subject D, a journalist working for a Tallahassee publication, believes the conversation on the Black male vote being a significant factor is simply not true. “Black men typically, and Black people in general, are a scapegoat…despite the small percentage of those who did vote for Trump, it was a very big role of white people and Latino voters…its other demographics that played a role into the ultimate decision,” he said.
As race, gender and identity continue to shape the political landscape, Subject D believes that only your vote matters in the end. “I can’t argue against anyone’s vote; I’m just happy that Black men voted in high numbers because it took Black people so much to get to this point, so we should exercise our right.”
Source link
Leave a Comment