Theme of Blacks and Voting in Ebony Magazine: Annotated Bibliography
Antonio L. Hurley
Select Writers of the 20th Century
December 14, 2011
A Political Coming of Age. Ebony (April 1972): 156+
This article is about the coming of age of African American voter in 1970’s America. It speaks to how Blacks should use their political muscle to make changes that benefit them during elections. While it points out that entire black vote only makes up a small percentage of the total voting population, it explains how that percentage is enough to swing elections on a local and national level. The split in the majority vote between Republicans, Democrats, right-wingers, and other factions gives the targeted black vote the ability to push a candidate into the elect position. Additionally, the limited number of voters turning out at the polls among blacks and whites makes a united front for the black vote even more important. The article goes on to say leaders must “make sure every black voter is registered” (156). Leaders who are able to unite the black vote and swing it one political direction will eventually be able to make changes to better benefit their social and political issues through the polls.
Poinsett, Alex Why Blacks Don’t Vote. Ebony (March 1976): 33 – 40
Poinsett tries to explain the reasoning behind black non-voters. He points out that the reasons are very deep and run back to historical reasoning rather than pure ignorance. Blacks have fought for the right to vote and even when it was granted nationally, local and state governments enacted laws to prevent blacks from gaining a political foothold. Whether it was through local legislation or simple violence, whites discouraged blacks from not only voting but even seeking the ability to vote. The only recourse against these practices was through private legislation. Whites dominated this political system as well which made electing black candidates not only unlikely but...