Historically, Black Americans were loyal to the Republican party, a connection forged after the Civil War due to President Abraham Lincoln’s role in abolishing slavery. However, by the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal began shifting loyalties to the Democratic Party and winning over Black voters needing jobs and aid.
Associate professor of history and African American studies at Florida A&M University (FAMU), Dr. Reginald K. Ellis, explains how many Black voters shifted their support from the Republican to the Democratic Party during these transformative decades.
He states, “From about the 1930s, 40s, 50s, the parties’ ideologies started to shift, and so you start to see with Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in the 1920s and the 1930s becoming more and more liberal and the Republican party becoming more and more conservative.”
The turning point for Black voters from voting Republican to Democrat came in the 1960s due to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s support for the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. These laws promised equal rights and better access to voting, making the Democratic Party the new political home for many Black Americans.
Since then, most Black voters remain a strong voting bloc within the Democratic party. However, there are some changes. Younger generations and some Black men are more open to exploring other political options.
Many prioritize issues addressing racial justice, economic opportunity, police reform, and healthcare—issues they see as critical to their communities. Increasingly, there’s an openness to look beyond party lines if those issues aren’t adequately addressed.
Democratic National Convention (DNC) delegate, and FAMU SGA Director of Policy and Senior Advisor Elijah Hooks shares insights on what these voters are looking for in this election.
“The Democratic Party to truly capitalize and keep the Black people within the Democratic Party is going to have to revitalize and modernize the way they actually deal with African Americans because, speaking not for the past generation but for our generation, I know our generation is a generation of change. We’re not gonna want to be a part of a party for too much longer if they’re not actually truly addressing our issues.”
As voters make their voices heard and with ballots cast, both parties are watching closely to see how the priorities of Black voters shape election results and future policy directions.
