By Tracey Rogers
America owes its Black citizens so much.
During a pandemic that has killed Black people at disproportionate rates, we still managed to save our democracy by getting out the vote in what may have been the most contentious presidential election in modern history.
Considering what we were up against — an administration that has put the lives of the American people in danger as COVID-19 spreads like wildfire — there was no choice but for Black people to show up at the polls in droves. Our lives depended on it.
Even President-elect Joe Biden acknowledged in his victory speech that “the African-American community stood up again for me.” Recent exit polls showed that 87 percent of Black voters backed the Biden-Harris ticket.
The odds were stacked against us, including voter suppression the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. In Georgia, Black voters sometimes waited 10 or 11 hours to cast their ballots.
But Black people proved resilient once more in our fight to preserve the Union — a Union that too often has failed to return the favor.
Joe Biden said he would have our backs in his administration. But given his authorship of the controversial 1994 crime bill that led to a deeply racist mass incarceration crisis — and Biden’s hostility to defunding the police 26 years later — I will manage my expectations.
Let’s not forget, too, that Black voters overwhelmingly backed former president Bill Clinton, who then went on to sign the 1994 crime bill into law, among other laws that deepened racial disparities in this country.
Still, 55 years after the Voting Rights Act was passed, Black people continue to cast ballots as a unified front because there is always so much more at stake for us. Health inequities, racial inequality, economic wealth gaps, and a lack of representation in government keeps the Black community stuck in a vicious cycle of marginalization.
And yet, even when history relentlessly reminds us that Black lives don’t matter, we continue to reclaim our legacy as the backbone of American democracy.
Biden’s historic win in Georgia, for example, may well have marked a turning point. Stacey Abrams’ founding of Fair Fight, along with dedicated work by countless grassroots volunteers, ensured many more Americans had a voice in our election.
These extraordinary efforts are necessary in part because — in spite of a pandemic, recession, and everything else — most white voters stuck with President Trump.
In fact, if it wasn’t for non-white voters — from our Latinx brothers and sisters in Nevada to our Indigenous siblings in Arizona — we may have seen different results. According to the same exit polls, 57 percent of white voters cast a ballot for Donald Trump, making this a very tight race.
Joe Biden may have won the presidency. But so too did white supremacy, xenophobia, and corruption. And as the violent pro-Trump protests that broke out in the capital recently show, we are indeed a nation divided.
But there’s still plenty to find encouraging. In my home city of Philadelphia, I witnessed Black voters standing in long lines with lawn chairs and prepared lunches, dressed for inclement weather, just to participate in democracy. It was a proud moment.
Time will tell if the Biden-Harris administration returns the favor by showing up for us. In such a closely divided country, they can’t afford not to.
Tracey L. Rogers is an entrepreneur and activist living in Philadelphia.
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Mark says
The virus is racist! Back to Obama’s administration and you expect changes on how blacks are treated? It will be the same as it was, nothing for blacks.
Dan Beasley says
You live in the greatest democracy in the world. Blacks have the highest standard of living in any country in the world, so for you to say you saved the USA democracy is a big lie. All you did was elect the same democratic party that has done absolutely nothing for you in the last 40 yrs. So when you don’t get your chicken in a pot you have no one to blame but yourself.
Bill C says
Another white supremacist telling black people what’s best for them.
Jimbo99 says
We shall see how it effects Flagler County. I for one don’t want a defunding of police & FCSO. Relocated here 2 years ago and I’ve seen violent crime on the rise, noticed that ordinance violations are increasing during the pandemic in my immediate residential. Really has little to do with racism, because I’ve observed it from any & all races in the residential community. It’s diverse here in the P-section. The one’s breaking the ordinances are those that try to stretch the rules because of their personal situations, not the color of their skin. they just happen to be whatever race they are breaking as many ordinances as they can get away with. I’ve seen FCSO & even the FBI visit my neighbors, white, black or brown and it’s been pretty evenly distributed and guess what. Whoever they visited were breaking ordinances at the very least, if not outright breaking local, state & federal laws. Don’t commit crimes and the police don’t come visit you to solve those problems.
That is saving America to me. It has nothing to do with which party you vote. Regardless of who you voted for, I simply don’t want to see the bar lowered in Flagler county. You sell drugs out of your house, I want FCSO, ATF and whoever else that it takes to remove you from those that want nothing to do with the crimes that accompany the drug dealing. For the 1st time in 2 years of living here, I read an article where a 1/2 dozen prostitutes from Jacksonville, FL were arrested. It’s bad enough we have sexual offenders & predators using the public parks as their base of operations, nobody cares what their race is, drive & banish them from Flager County & the City of Palm Coast. They aren’t welcome here and if defunding the police enables that I am against that defunding. There should be a zero tolerance & Sheriff Staley has my support to incarcerate them. Steal a car, track them with the helicopter and make them be accountable & responsible. If they are white, black, brown, so be it. They’re being arrested for stealing a car, their personal situation in the moment, not because of the color of their skin.
Ross W says
Why not publish an article on the BLM movement and all of the violence, murder, rioting, looting and racism at the hands of these stand up model citizens. MSM, including FlaglerLive have done more harm to race relations than any other person or group.
Pierre Tristam says
Because we’re not into disinformation or pandering to bigots. Facts, too, matter.
T. Baker says
Sorry, Pierre, but you are wrong. You’re living in a bubble. I’m a life long democrat/liberal. The difference between me and you is that I refuse to watch mainstream media. I watched my mother get sucked into Fox news and the right wing hysteria, and it was tragic. You are doing the same thing, and it’s sad. It’s a disease and I can tell by the repeated talking points that you are deep in it. Deeper than my mother ever was.. STOP watching mainstream media. MSNBC, CNN, Fox. They are tearing this country apart, and you are helping them. Stop being a puppet and start thinking for yourself.
Steve says
Thank you for helping get the White Supremist Racist liar in Chief out of office.
ASF says
Black WOMEN voters came out for Biden. Black male voters voted for trump in higher numbers than in the past.
Pogo says
@Tracey L. Rogers
Thank you – for saving any hope left for the human race.
As for those who voted for trump, mcconnell, and the rest of the shamelessly unscrupulous swine of their ilk; It is known, as someone has said, you can fool some of the people all of the time.
Willie says
Im black, and everyone i know black voted for trump. Something is wrong with the numbers here!
T. Ruth says
They lie…….. they always lie !!!!!
Geezer says
Willie:
Your comment looks like a “white lie.”
You and everyone you cite are as white as eggshells.
Your spelling is that of a first-grader and is reminiscent
of Trump tweets…
You’re Donald Trump!