House on New Direction for Black Politics: The Hill
Journalism Professor Emeritus Roger House writes for The Hill that wins on the state level by Black politicians in the 2024 election show promise for greater representation, pointing to momentous wins in Maryland, Delaware, Alabama, and Washington.
Since the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the Black political arena has been largely restricted to municipal and congressional districts with a sizable Black powerbase. Candidates have encountered a longstanding barrier of race in the quest for state-wide representation.
Even with the unexpected dominance of Donald Trump in the presidential race, this election produced an unprecedented number of Black statewide campaigns that overcame historic obstacles to power.
Despite the sting of the Harris defeat, the 2024 elections introduced an expanded field for Black political influence. Looking ahead, the challenge for Black leaders will be finding ways to maximize the leverage of their community in coalitions for state governance.
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