Malindi Minute: Election 2024 and Black America

Happy Sunday! Whether you’re a new subscriber or an existing subscriber, welcome back. It's election week! So, we have to talk about the state of affairs.

What's at stake for Black voters?

We've already discussed how the Supreme Court can impact Black voters. Their decision that affected affirmative action and their gerrymandering decision are two of the more important decisions that impact Black voters this year. This is being mentioned because whoever is elected this week will more than likely nominate at least one Supreme Court Justice. The implications are immense. Due to the lifelong terms, this means that whoever is president will be nominating someone who will be affecting law for at least a generation.

Don't Forget Local Elections, Senate, and House

It is easy to be caught up in all the lights and actions of the presidential election. We all fall victim to following the shiny object that is an American presidential race. What's also happening is local elections. For what happens at the local level, local elections are immensely important, but most people forget because they're focused on the Presidential election. Locally elected officials are still in the cities or towns they are elected in. They are more familiar with what goes on in the places they are elected, which is why those races matter also. Also, this week all seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs. 34 seats in the Senate are also up for grabs. It's easy to get lost, but don't forget that the party that is in the White House, won't get much done if that party also doesn't have control of the House and the Senate. Pay attention to those parts of the ballots as well. The legislative branch is who passes the laws, so neglecting those races will have a longstanding impact. When it comes to issues directly affecting Black voters, if a candidate is promising something, that promise will have a difficult time being fulfilled if the candidate's party doesn't also have control of the House and the Senate.

The Role of Young Voters

In every election, all votes matter. But often, you see candidates making intentional appeals to young voters. The Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics did its own polling and found some interesting trends among young Americans. Among young people, Harris leads Trump (voters under 30). What's more intriguing is the role that peers play in young American's voting. Young people are more than twice as likely to vote when they know their friends will vote vs when they don't think their friends will. You can read the full results of the Harvard Youth Poll here.

Black Women on Fire

Only three Black women have been in the Senate, and one of them is currently running for President. This year, three more Black women are attempting to be a part of that exclusive club. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is running for a senate seat in Delaware and if she wins, she will become the first Black woman and first woman to hold that seat. Angela Alsobrooks is running for a senate seat in Maryland. If she wins she will be the first Black person to hold the seat. Dr. Valerie McCray is running for a senate seat in Indiana.

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Interesting Conversations this week:

Song of the Week: “Rolling Stone” by Samara Cyn (U.S.A.)