Voting Rites
Black Activists Look to New Strategies, Allies to Flex Ballot Power
Indeed, the heavy attention to the black vote may be missing a larger point: the Democrats' feeble numbers among Southern whites. According to "The Black Vote in 2000," a report issued out of Washington by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, half of Gore's voting total in Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia came from African Americans. But Gore lost all three states. Ditto for his home state of Tennessee, where 35 percent of his votes came from African Americans.
Clearly, it wasn't voter apathy among blacks that killed Gore in the 2000 presidential election. But activists are worried that the Democrats' loss—despite a record turnout of African Americans—might hinder their current efforts. "If you're not a Republican, you were robbed in 2000," says Banks. "Even though there was a large turnout, many people feel like it didn't matter, because the person they voted for didn't get elected. My goal was not to have people slack off and think it's a waste of time to go out and vote. If you are breathing and you are living, you need to vote."
Now Trending
-
Voice Places
Find everything you're looking for in your city
-
Happy Hour App
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
-
Daily Deals
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
-
Best Of...
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
- Profile
- Newsletters
- Mobile
- Logout
