The themed phrase of this election seems to be that black millennials are only voting for Hillary Clinton because she is,“a candidate who is better than the alternative.”
Generally, young black people are reluctant. Young black voters grumble, #GuessI’mWithHer, because the Clinton’s have not supported recent campaigns initiated by black people, such as the Black Lives Matter Movement, and have neither created or supported issues that cripple large portions of the black population, such as the issue of mass incarceration.
Hillary Clinton is viewed as a figure who has historically changed her view on a matter of issues pertaining to black Americans. In her presidential campaign, she has shifted her support to reducing the prison population, and others important issues for many young black voters. For young black Americans, this is met with skepticism, and in some ways is seen as a political stunt to secure the black vote.
A group of liberal advocacy organizations created a focus group with young black voters, to form an opinion around how young black voters feel about voting for Hillary Clinton as President.
One member of the focus group, a millennial woman who voted for President Obama from Ohio stated, “ What am I supposed to do if I don’t like him and I don't trust her? Choose between being shot and being stabbed. No way!” Her rhetoric isn’t really working with young black people. Many young black voters would rather abstain from voting, rather than vote for either candidate.
Black millennials should stop seeing Hillary Clinton as the best of a worse case scenario, and start seeing her presidency as an opportunity for young black people to hold her accountable to many of the promises she has made during her campaign.
If we just take a moment to look at what a Hillary Clinton Presidency would look like for young black women. She has staked her campaign on expanding Obamacare, women’s health rights, and demanding equal pay for women.
1. Black Women and Health Rights:
Black women are more likely to face health discrimination. HIV and AIDS-related illnesses are the leading causes for black women aged 25-34. Black women are also more likely to die in pregnancy complications.
If white women aren’t being payed at an equal rate, then you know the disparity in equal pay for black women is even higher. White women earn, on average, 82 cents for every dollar earned by a white man. By comparison, black women earn 65 cents for every dollar.
3. Clinton Campaign has more Black Women than any other Presidential Campaign:
There are 38 black women working at Hillary Clinton Campaign headquarters. This is more than the Obama campaign in both 2008 and 2012, and the roles of these black women span in variety of places. Black women are actually being asked about the issues that will affect black women such as: “ the gender pay gap, support for small businesses, and criminal-justice reform.” These women even have a Black Girl Magic email group, that “connects the sisterhood within Hillary for America.”
By comparison, it’s easy to determine what a Trump Presidency would look like, perpetuated police violence and other forms of white violence against black people, putting more financial pressure on the middle class, abandoning poor and under-privileged communities, and repealing Obama-care.
Black women have some of the highest stakes in this election, therefore, a Hillary Clinton administration could be what black women and young black voters make it.
We can choose to vote, be involved, engage with our future President, and hold her accountable for the things that are important to us, or we can complain that she isn’t all we want her to be.
And cross our fingers that Trump isn’t elected.
