The absence of a “minority” Democratic Party presidential candidate and the unwillingness of the remaining aspirants to address issues of importance to African American voters may impede the Black voter turnout next fall.
Such was the consensus of a panel of five local African American community leaders and political activists who were quizzed about the upcoming elections on the nationally televised “Meet the Press” talk show last week as part of its “County to County” project.
The “County to County” project involves on-going discussions with voters and stakeholders in five “battleground states” that significantly influenced the 2016 presidential elections: Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
President Donald Trump surprisingly won Wisconsin in 2016 by 23,000 votes. A drop-off in Black voter participation in Milwaukee was a critical factor in Trump’s victory.
Many analysts surmised lukewarm support for Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton and the unwillingness of the Democratic Party to address issues of importance to Black voters contributed to smaller voter turnout.
Ironically, most participants in the televised panel discussion believe a similar paradigm may be playing out this year.
The local panel, interviewed by Meet the Press’s Dante Chinni, included County Supervisor Marcella Nicholson, Ruben Hopkins, president of the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce; award-winning radio talk show host Sherwin Hughes, Rev. Donna Childs, pastor of Tabernacle Community Baptist Church; and Mikel Holt, associate publisher of your Milwaukee Community Journal.
While only six minutes of the 25-minute discussion was aired on last week’s Meet the Press, the nearly 30-minute discussion provided a more detailed analysis of the upcoming elections from an African American perspective.
The full interview has gone viral and has attracted the attention of Black stakeholders nationwide. Most social media responses have been supportive of the views presented by the panelists.
Many viewers have also expressed shock and concern about revelations of Milwaukee’s status as the worse place in the country for African Americans, as revealed on the show. The fact that Milwaukee is host to the Democratic Party national convention has fueled that fire.
It was not surprising that most of the panelists expressed disappointment that the reduced Democratic field has ignored issues of importance to the Black community, particularly in the areas of education, unemployment, economic development, and criminal justice.
It was noted, however, that dichotomy may have been by design, as neither of the two Black former candidates—Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, spoke to those issues during any of the earlier debates they participated either, prompting Nicholson to suggest the ethnicity of the candidates did not make much of a difference.
Instead, all of the candidates were swept up into discussions about immigration, the environment, and Trump policies versus more pressing issues faced by minorities and the poor.
“Most Black folks are concerned about putting food on the table,” she said, adding finding livable wage paying jobs, safety, and quality education overshadow other concerns.
The fact that neither Harris nor Booker focused their campaigns on that reality probably played into their campaigns not finding traction as well, Nicholson surmised.
Holt agreed, noting the most recent debate—without anyone of color on the stage— probably hurt Black voter enthusiasm more than it helped.
“Initially, people were excited by the wide range of (candidate choices),” said Rev. Childs. “Now, our voices have been (muted) to a degree.”
Rev. Childs said her congregants are concerned about bread and butter issues and who can impact on their lives; but also who can beat Donald Trump. That latter concern seems to be a top priority.
An “anyone but Trump” campaign may not be enough, Holt interjected.
Milwaukee leads the nation in seven negative social indicators, and many Black voters are growing increasingly tired of the unwillingness to even superficially address Black concerns.
During the last debate, “They (the candidates) were talking about early childhood education and free college, but most of our kids won’t get that far,” said Holt.
For Black Milwaukeeans, the focus is on K-12, and the inability of Black children attending government schools to read at grade level, much less graduate. Milwaukee, Holt noted, has the smallest percentage of Black children who can meet proficiency rates for reading at the fourth and eighth grades in the country.
Milwaukee is also home to the highest Black incarceration and Black male unemployment rates, along with being the most segregated city in the country.
And the fact Milwaukee is home to the nation’s education revolution cannot be ignored.
On a positive note, America seems to be moving away from what Nicholson said was identity politics, where Black candidates are used to attract Black voters and female candidates are used to attach women voters, etc.
The issues faced by most Americans are not exclusive to ethnicities or gender.
But while “anyone other than Trump,” works in theory, it is questionable whether that slogan will translate into an enthusiastic outpouring of Black voters unless it is tied to concrete solutions to a myriad of problems.
Holt said it was interesting to see the candidates in the last debate try to claim significant support from minority voters.
“Seems like each was trying to (link themselves to Black voters)” to claim support for their respective campaigns.
“And then (finally) there was Biden (who upstaged everybody) by proclaiming he had more Black support than all of the other candidates combined.”
The Black Press journalist said Sanders has not significantly turned around the abysmal level of Black support that haunted him in 2016. Warren is “being followed around the country by angry Black parents because of her attacks on educational options for the poor, and Mayor Pete (Buttigieg) doesn’t even have Black support in his community,” Holt said sarcastically,
While there was no consensus on who is considered the “best” candidate for Black America, most agreed Biden would probably emerge given his name recognition and association with former (and first African American) President Barack Obama, whose support could energize the Black vote.
Hughes said he is leaning toward Biden but was fearful he would turn off progressives. “I’m nervous that if Biden becomes the nominee, which it appears he will be, there’s going to be a lot of people that are going to stay home.”
The former talk show host, who is the head of the organization “Leaders for a Better Community,” also suggested it may not be as crucial for a candidate to provide political rhetoric about Black concerns but be open to us. “instead of someone who speaks to our issues, we need someone who listens to us when we speak,” Hughes theorized.
He also noted that unless voters can flip the Senate, the question of who the next president is may be moot.
“If we (continue to) have a Republican-controlled Senate, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
Thus, Democratic Party voters should focus on the importance of electing four additional Democrats to the senate, which would provide them the majority.
Hopkins interposed, noting among his organization’s top concerns, is a president who gives more than lip service to reinvesting in central cities across the country.
Using Milwaukee as an example, Hopkins noted, “Look at our community, it is void of economic investment,” he said, despite African Americans being the largest ethnic group, representing 200,000 people.
Yet, “If we want to go to a movie, we have to leave the central city. If we want to go to a roller rink, we have to leave our community. If we want to go to a (four-star) restaurant, we have to leave our community.”
That paradigm is at the root of many of Milwaukee’s negative social indicators—poverty, unemployment and segregation.
“We deserve the same quality of life in the central city (as Whites enjoy in the suburbs), the Black business advocate proclaimed.
Hopkins said historically, presidential politics have been viewed through a wide lens, what is best for Americans in general. But it is time now that our focus is on what is best for us because there continues to be an unequal playing field.
“If we don’t prioritize what is best for (the Black community) we are going to get the same thing you got last time.”
Investment in central cities, including Milwaukee, would result in a revitalization that would lead to the creation of jobs, a robust economy, and a significant reduction in the Black poverty rate.
Nicholson noted that her support of Sanders was rooted in his campaign platform of addressing issues directly impacting the lives of millennials and Black professionals.
Sanders, she said, has a comprehensive platform that will improve the quality of life for all Americans, a fact that has drawn new voters to the campaign.
By prioritizing the reduction of student debt, and universal health, he is speaking to a new and energized voting bloc that transcends ethnicity and age.
“(Many) Black businesses can’t afford health care.”
“Look at (Sander’s) base; he has the largest percentage of supporters of color, and more individual donors than anyone.
“While (Elizabeth) Warren supporters tend to be more affluent and educated,” Sanders’ growing base better reflects the emerging younger, grassroots progressives.
Another option presented to energize the Black vote could be the selection of a Black running mate for what appears certain to be a White nominee.
Holt said the symbolism of a person of color on the ticket could convey to Black voters that their issues will be spoken of in the back room.
And if not an African American, a progressive like Julian Castro would be a progressive favorite, Holt suggested.
“He was the only candidate to talk about Black issues like police brutality” and education outside the failing status quo.
“Milwaukee is home to the educational revolution, yet none of the candidates touched on (the abysmal state) of urban education. Some of the candidates came out looking like elitists,” Holt proclaimed, noting how Black leaders have attacked Warren and Sanders because of their opposition to school choice, which revealed how the Democratic Party in general values the union vote and agenda over that of its most loyal and powerful bloc: Black voters.
But, “we will vote for whoever emerges as the Democratic Party candidate (if for no other reason than) we have no other option.”
When the veteran journalist mentioned the potential emergence of former New York Mayor Mikel Bloomberg as an option, Hughes responded, “He’s trying to buy the election,” a potentially disingenuous paradigm.
From all indications, the church community,”will (also) get behind whoever” the candidate will be, Rev. Childs explained.
As the most consistent voting block of African Americans, Black church congregants look at the upcoming elections as a mandate to defeat Trump.
“We can fix the other things later,” she said, which seems to be the rallying cry.
To a question by Chinni about the level of Black support for Trump, Hughes explained it might be larger than most pundits assume.
A strong economy is a nightmare for Democrats, Hughes explained and is hard to beat.
The economy, which Trump misleadingly takes credit for, “hasn’t worked for everybody, but, in the last four years a lot of folks have bought a house or gotten a raise, and they will attribute that to the economy,” he theorized, a factor Trump will exploit.
This summer’s DNC convention could, but probably won’t, be a catalyst for the recognition of the dire state of Black America in general and Black Milwaukee in particular, the panelist agreed.
Ironically, while Milwaukee has taken on the label of being the “worst city for African Americans in the country,” that paradigm has not been addressed by the party or any of the candidates, nor is it expected to be discussed at the convention.
Yet, as Black Milwaukeeans realize the historic nature of that dichotomy, it could have an adverse impact on the fall elections.
Thus, Hopkins said our voices need to be heard.
“This is an opportunity for those of us who can get in the room, because you know what they say, if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
Rev. Childs said it was equally important that local Black politicians use this unique opportunity to press our issues within the DNC.
Likewise, “it is the role of the church to stand up, to make a difference,” to provide a voice.
As the Bible explains, “Whenever God sent a king, he also sent a prophet; to tell the truth, to make them do what is right, to speak up when they did wrong.”