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Three nonprofits earlier this month released findings of a study that analyzes segments or values clusters within the Black community in three swing states that goes deeper than typical demographics.
The research in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania was not conducted in support of any candidate.
Results of a national, four-year project to study the Black electorate show that while almost half (41%) of Black people believe in their collective power to drive change, another 22% are deeply cynical about politics and elections, and 18% are susceptible to this growing disillusionment because they are often overlooked by the political industry.
POWER Interfaith of Pennsylvania, New Georgia Project and Detroit Action Education Fund headed the effort.
“The political industry has often looked at the historical trend of the overwhelming majority of Black voters supporting Democrats and assumed that the Black electorate is a monolith or voting bloc that can be taken for granted,” the executive summary reads.
“However, after more than four years of rigorous research across multiple states focused on the intersections, nuances, issue priorities, and values within the Black community, we know that the Black electorate is complex. Any organization or campaign interested in engaging Black voters should treat them with the same level of curiosity as any other constituency. Black people are political agents making choices about how they engage, whether or not they engage, and what role they see the government playing in their lives based on their lived experiences, values, and identities.”
Black Values Survey graphic
Katrina Gamble, founder and CEO of Sojourn Strategies, and Terrance Woodbury, CEO and founding partner of HIT Strategies, worked with the state-based organizing groups to conduct the national research and research in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan. Michigan has a 14% Black population, with Pennsylvania at 13% and Georgia at nearly 31%.
“Campaigns and organizations are making historic investments to engage Black voters but they’re missing a critical piece of the puzzle, and a Black values survey is the key,” said Gamble. “Too many segments of the Black electorate feel isolated and ignored by the political industry because no one has taken the time to understand the roots of their cynicism and mistrust of politics. This research reveals the nuances, motivations, and unique messages that different communities of Black voters need to hear so community organizers can build more effective programs and narratives that inspire people to vote.”
The 2024 Black Values Survey, which includes both registered and unregistered Black voters, builds upon preliminary 2022 research which studied only registered Black people. The researchers asked questions about respondents’ values and worldviews (such as levels of social trust, self-perceptions of power, feelings of solidarity with the Black community, and religiosity), and identified five Black Values clusters within the national Black electorate.
Detroit Action Education Fund (DAEF) is using a combination of door-to-door canvassing, digital marketing, and micro-influencer engagement to influence voters.
In 2020, the organization helped to bring 86,000 new Wayne County voters into the process.
“You can’t talk young Black people out of their rightful cynicism,” said Branden Snyder, senior advisor with DAEF. “What you have to do is acknowledge, listen, and empathize with folks’ lived experience. Rightful cynics are looking for a place where they see other cynics like them taking action in their community. Here in Detroit, we are proving that rightful cynicism is not necessarily a barrier to civic engagement. You can be cynical and still vote if it means delivering real change for your community.”
Legacy Civil Rights (41% of respondents) is the oldest group, with an average age of over 50. Secular Progressives (12% of respondents) is a cluster that has the second-highest level of political participation. It is the most progressive, and the majority are women. NextGen Traditionalists (18% of respondents). is a young cluster, with the majority being Millennials and Gen Z Americans.
These findings are from a survey of 2,034 Black registered voters and 918 Black unregistered voters. YouGov conducted survey weighting, matching respondents to frames based on gender, age, and education. The survey was fielded in March 2024. The margin of error is +/-1.84 %
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This report was first published by Michigan Advance, part of the States Newsroom nonprofit news network. It’s supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan J. Demas for questions: info@michiganadvance.com. Follow Michigan Advance on Facebook and X.