The Black Vote: A Critical Interrogation of a Concept

“The black vote” as a concept, simultaneously captures a truth and obscures reality. It reflects the truth that no other racial group comes close to the uniformity of Black Americans’ voting behavior within American electoral politics. Yet, it also obscures the diversity of political opinions and ideological dispositions that animate a dynamic black American public. If voting is an essential means to give citizens voice and their share in self-rule within a democracy, this course explores what it means for the stability of American democracy that the black vote does not reflect the political diversity of the black community.