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Three nonprofits earlier this month released the results of a study analyzing segments or value clusters within the black community in three swing states. The research goes deeper than typical demographics.
The survey in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania was not biased toward support for any particular candidate.
Results from a four-year nationwide project to study the black electorate show that nearly half (41%) of blacks believe in their collective power to create change, but another 22% are deeply cynical about politics and elections, and 18% are susceptible to this growing disillusionment because they are often overlooked by the political industry.
POWER Interfaith of Pennsylvania, New Georgia Project and Detroit Action Education Fund led the project.
“The political industry has often looked at the historical trend of overwhelming black voters supporting Democrats and assumed that the black electorate is a monolith or voting bloc that can be taken for granted,” the summary said.
“But after more than four years of rigorous, multi-state research focused on the intersections, nuances, priorities and values within the Black community, we know that the Black electorate is complex. Any organization or campaign interested in engaging Black voters should treat them with the same level of curiosity as any other constituency. Black people are political agents who make choices about how to engage, whether to engage and what role they see government playing in their lives based on their life experiences, values and identities.”
Katrina Gamble, founder and CEO of Sojourn Strategies, and Terrance Woodbury, CEO and founding partner of HIT Strategies, worked with the state-based organizing groups to conduct the national survey and research in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan. Michigan has a black population of 14%, with Pennsylvania at 13% and Georgia at nearly 31%.
“Campaigns and organizations are making historic investments to engage Black voters, but they’re missing a critical piece of the puzzle, and a Black values survey is the key,” Gamble said. “Too many segments of the Black electorate feel isolated and ignored by the political industry because no one has taken the time to understand the roots of their cynicism and distrust of politics. This research reveals the nuances, motivations, and unique messages that diverse communities of Black voters need to hear, so community organizers can build more effective programs and stories that inspire people to vote.”
The 2024 Black Values Survey, which includes both registered and unregistered Black voters, builds on preliminary research from 2022 that only looked at registered Black people. Researchers asked questions about respondents’ values and worldviews (such as levels of social trust, self-perceptions of power, feelings of solidarity with the Black community, and religiosity) and identified five Black Values clusters within the national Black electorate.
Detroit Action Education Fund (DAEF) uses a combination of door-to-door campaigning, digital marketing and the use of micro-influencers to influence voters.
In 2020, the organization helped engage 86,000 new voters in Wayne County.
“You can’t disabuse young black people of their legitimate cynicism,” said Branden Snyder, senior advisor at DAEF. “What you have to do is acknowledge people’s lived experiences, listen to them and show empathy. Legitimate cynics seek a place where they can see other cynics like them taking action in their communities. Here in Detroit, we’re proving that legitimate cynicism doesn’t have to be a barrier to civic engagement. You can be cynical and still vote if it means you’re making real change for your community.”
Legacy Civil Rights (41% of respondents) is the oldest group, with an average age of over 50. Secular Progressives (12% of respondents) is a cluster with the second highest level of political participation. It is the most progressive and the majority is female. NextGen Traditionalists (18% of respondents) is a young cluster, with a majority of Millennials and Gen Z Americans.
These findings come from a survey of 2,034 registered black voters and 918 unregistered black voters. YouGov weighted the survey and matched respondents to frames based on gender, age and education. The survey was conducted in March 2024. The margin of error is +/-1.84%.
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This story was originally published by the Michigan Advance. Like the Maine Morning Star, The Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan J. Demas with questions at info@michiganadvance.com. Follow the Michigan Advance on Facebook and X.
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