Historically, the Black electorate has always voted for the Democratic Party and supported its policies despite the controversial and sub-optimal results these policies produced for Black Americans. Recently, however, there has been a rude political awakening of Black voters. Many Black voters, especially Black men, have expressed their interest in voting for Former President Trump this November.
The Black electorate remains loyal to the Democratic Party, however. The Democratic Party is portrayed in American politics as the party that enhanced and implemented civil rights, and the party that promotes the welfare of minorities and the American underclass. Nevertheless, their policies have led to the regression and disintegration of certain communities, notably the Black community.
Cities and counties led by Democratic officeholders have implemented policies that led to a dramatic increase in crime and poverty. For example, Detroit, which used to be one of the wealthiest cities in the nation in the 1950s has become one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in America since the 1960s under Democrat leadership. Same for Baltimore where crime is at an all-time high. The last time a Republican was mayor of Baltimore was in 1967. Crime in Chicago has also been extremely rampant under the leadership of Lori Lightfoot. Despite these obvious facts, Blacks continue to vote for Democrat leaders and these leaders continue to enforce destructive policies.
The Black conservative movement has been growing since Donald Trump entered the 2016 race. Black political activists such as Candace Owens have openly displayed their support for Donald Trump while a majority of Black voters remained skeptical about the 45th President of the United States. According to Pew Research Center study from January 2020, a quarter of Black Democrats identify as conservative, and 43% as moderate.
A 2018 Harvard-Harris poll also found that 85% of Black Americans favor reducing legal immigration, more than any other demographic—54% chose the strictest options available, allowing fewer than 250,000 immigrants per year, or even say they want to no new immigrants at all. These are policies that Trump championed during his rule.
Under Trump’s rule, more jobs were gained than lost. Black unemployment was at an all-time low under his leadership. This is one crucial aspect of the Trump presidency that Black voters want to see happening. Moreover, the poverty rate for Black Americans also reached record lows, while a total of 1 million lifted themselves out of poverty between 2016 and 2019. Over the same period, real median household income for Black families rose over $4,000 after actually falling over the previous fourteen years, which contributed to an increase in Black homeownership, skyrocketing to 47%.
These facts can’t be undone, and while Democrats may have not noticed these policies’ impact on Black people’s lives, Black voters felt their effect and realized that they weren’t that bad. This does not mean that we should expect the majority of the Black electorate to suddenly endorse Donald Trump. Blacks will stay loyal to the Democratic Party. But this rude political awakening is perhaps the beginning of a slow yet steady transition.