Black Americans Don’t Trust Our Institutions, But We’d Do Well To Remember History

By: Shayla C. Nunnally Black voters have not been turning out at the polls the way they used to. In the 2022 midterm elections, the Black share of the electorate fell to multi-decade lows. Black voters were a key part of President Biden’s winning coalition in 2020. But, current polling indicates that only 75% of Black voters would vote if the presidential election were held today. That leaves a concerning percentage of Black voters who may not cast their ballots in November 2024. Black America’s disillusionment with democracy is understandable. It has been four years since the murder of George Floyd prompted a global reckoning of race. Yet, racism appears to be on the upswing. Diversity and equity are no longer universal aspirations but are treated more like dirty words and bad deeds.  History teaches that we disengage from political institutions at our peril. Effecting change at the ballot box may be slow, but it is a major tool we have to hold policymakers accountable to advance change. Consider the history of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. King may be best known for his civil disobedience against oppressive state governments that enforced segregation, but he...