race

Concerns about the growing hostility toward communities of color has risen dramatically in the wake of the killings George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the killing of six Asian American women in Georgia. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Leaders from six national racial justice organizations presented polling data they’ve conducted that shows widespread concern about racism, reproductive rights and eroding economic stability, while also suggesting that voters are increasingly concerned that leaders from both political parties are becoming more out of touch with the realities they face.

The data presented by the Advancement Project, the NAACP, UnidosUs, the National Congress of American Indians, Demos and the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, noted consistently high levels of engagement, especially among young voters, but also showed that several different issues are motivating multiracial voters which are different than the issues of two years ago in 2020.

For example, the topic of addressing racism and reproductive rights have become top priorities since the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and six Asian American women in Georgia. Also, both liberal and conservative voters shared a concern with reproductive rights and freedoms, including abortion.

Many leaders highlighted a constant concern about the economy, especially with the steep rise in inflation, leaving communities of color which were struggling economically before the COVID-19 pandemic in crisis because of the cost of food, housing and gasoline.

“We want to see our voices valued 24-7, 365 days a year, not just on Election Day and that means a continuous conversation,” said Taifa Butler of Demos, an organization that studies and advocates for racial equity in democracy. “The economic struggles have been broadly felt but not equally distributed.”

Her organization has found that in addition to the economic hardships of stagnant pay and rising costs, reproductive justice has been added to women’s fight.

“Americans are increasingly frustrated to see that their opinions are in one direction and Congress is moving in another,” said Clarissa Martinez, Vice President at UnidosUS Latino Vote Initiative.

Saving Native culture

Larry Wright Jr., the executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, said that voters in Indian Country are concerned about several cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, one which has been decided, the other which is currently under review.

A recent Supreme Court ruling, Oklahoma vs. Castro-Huerta, changed the way that states can prosecute crimes on reservation lands.

“The Supreme Court has discounted 250 years of history and allowed the state criminal justice system to encroach upon our tribal sovereignty,” Wright said.

The other case will decide the fate of the Indian Child Welfare Act which seeks to keep families and tribal communities whole in cases of child neglect and abuse. A challenge to the act is asking the court to rule ICWA unconstitutional because some say it discriminates against white people.

“Our allies understand that our cultures cannot exist without our children,” Wright said.

Wright said these two cases have made national politics a motivator for Native American communities. He also said that tribal communities are concerned about the number of laws being proposed or passed to restrict voting.

While Native Americans are worried about the future, Wright said they’re also seeing the power of their voice. In seven states, the number of Indigenous votes were more than margins of difference, meaning that Native votes were a key difference in elections, he said.

“Native people’s voices had a role in swinging elections,” he said.

A slide from a presentation by the NAACP showing the most important issues for Black voters in the 2022 midterms (Courtesy NAACP and the Advancement Project).

Racism a motivator

Jamal Watkins, NAACP senior vice president of Strategy and Advancement, said that a combination of polling, focus groups and panels has revealed that concerns about racism topped the list for Black voters. However, all panelists said concerns about the growing hostility toward communities of color has risen dramatically in the past two years.

Watkins said that polling, coupled with voter registration information, reveals that African Americans can play a key role in determining the outcome of high-profile races if they turn out at the polls. He highlighted the organization’s efforts in Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan as places where African-American voters can play an outsized role.

“Black voters are often taken for granted,” Watkins said. “If 3% percent of Black men in Georgia vote in a certain way, Herschel Walker is the next senator from Georgia.” Read more