From Protest to Politics: The New Black Voters in American Elections, Enlarged Edition

by Katherine Tate

The struggle for civil rights among black Americans has moved into the voting booth. How such a shift came about―and what it means―is revealed in this timely reflection on black presidential politics in recent years.

Since 1984, largely as a result of Jesse Jackson’s presidential bid, blacks have been galvanized politically. Drawing on a substantial national survey of black voters, Katherine Tate shows how this process manifested itself at the polls in 1984, 1988, and 1992. In an analysis of the black presidential vote by region, income, age, and gender, she is able to identify unique aspects of the black experience as they shape political behavior, and to answer longstanding questions about that behavior.

Unique in its focus on the black electorate, this study illuminates a little-understood and tremendously significant aspect of American politics. It will benefit those who wish to understand better the subtle interplay of race and politics, at the voting booth and beyond.

Genres: Politics

Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Theon Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dated, but it provides a great overview of the dominant political philosophies driving Black political agency at the conclusion of the Reagan Era in ways that connect back to notable Black political philosophers like Bayard Rustin of the 60s and to current thinkers in 21st century America.