A party's broken promise

Democrats once said representation matters. Now Black elected officials who benefited from that priority have receded into the background as the party shifts left.

Biden's Black cabinet

President Biden prioritized Black representation in his administration, nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, installing Jaime Harrison as DNC chair, and making Karine Jean-Pierre White House press secretary.

Black mayors across America

In twenty twenty-two, New York City, Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles all had elected Black mayors for the first time, marking a high point for Black political power.

The reversal begins

Harris lost to Trump in twenty twenty-four. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act never materialized. Eric Adams and Lori Lightfoot were bounced after one term. Houston elected white mayor John Whitmire over Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

Los Angeles at risk

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles faces a tough race from insurgent Democratic socialist City Council member Nithya Raman, risking another loss for Black political leadership.

Voting rights under threat

The Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais may put as many as nineteen members of the Congressional Black Caucus, nearly a third of the caucus, at risk of losing their seats.

Progressive wins bypass Black voters

The current Democratic energy comes from its progressive left, which has found a winning formula for primary races that essentially goes around Black voters, as seen in Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City.

Two paths diverge

Black Democrats face a choice between a failed establishment that historically made space for some Black causes and a progressive wing working from a deficit of trust with little history in Black communities.

Clyburn blames Black voters

Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina explicitly blamed Black voters for Kamala Harris's twenty twenty-four loss, saying they let her and the party down, not the other way around.

“In many instances, absolutely… If that fifty-nine percent had been sixty-nine percent, she would've won.”

Clyburn defends corporate money

Clyburn defended taking corporate dollars even as polling shows most Democrats, including Black voters, wish their politicians did not accept such funding.

Clyburn backs centrist candidates

Clyburn supported Andrew Cuomo against Zohran Mamdani in New York City's mayor's race and backed Haley Stevens against Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race, defending his loyalty to established relationships.

“So I'm supposed to throw away all these relationships for somebody I never saw before, never heard of before… Come on. Why don't they just get off of that?”

Out of step with voters

Clyburn's policy positions and those of the Congressional Black Caucus are increasingly out of step with public opinion on corporate money, Israel, and Big Tech, while members like Jasmine Crockett accept crypto-industry donations.

Nixon wins Florida primary

Angie Nixon, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Florida, won her primary by twelve points, fifty-six to forty-four, against a candidate who outraised her roughly seventeen to one.

Nixon gains momentum

Since her primary win, Nixon has won over Democratic commentators through viral tweets, gained endorsement from EMILY's List, and attracted progressive funding led by Bernie Sanders through authentic media engagement.

Nixon's authenticity advantage

Nixon's distance from corporate money and the party's pro-Israel wing has afforded her freedom many Black politicians do not have, allowing her to lead with genuine policy positions over donor appeasement.

“I am a team player when you are playing for the team of hardworking people. But when you start playing for corporations, I can't get down like that.”

Nixon blames structures, not voters

Unlike Clyburn, Nixon blames the structures that have historically oppressed Black communities, including the Democratic Party and its corporate donors, rather than blaming voters for political losses.

Twenty twenty-eight field takes shape

Looking ahead to twenty twenty-eight, several Black Democrats are priming to run for president, including Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, each likely trying to stake middle ground between establishment and progressive camps.

South Carolina's diminished power

South Carolina is set to go first in the Democrats' presidential nominating calendar, but its predictive power may diminish since it is further away from Super Tuesday, and the Black electorate has changed.

A rising generation shifts politics

A rising generation of Black millennials is less committed to traditional party politics and less defined by the civil rights movement, meaning the Black electorate may no longer move in unison as it historically has.