With election night this Tuesday the stakes in the presidential election have been higher than ever between Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. However, even though this election is important, some students have thoughts on the sincerity of the Democratic Party when it comes to the Black community.
The Democratic Party is known for having a majority of the Black vote due to the party making policies that helped to build equality to some extent in America. Often it has been reciprocated from the Black community that the Democratic Party is the only party that wants to help our race.
FAMU student Felicia Lenard feels that the Democratic Party has always had Black people in mind due to the policies and initiatives that are catered to them. Many Democrats have publicly supported the Civil Rights Movement in the past and have now transitioned to supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I believe that the Democratic Party caters to the Black community all the time. They are proactive and make sure that justice is done for the Black community not only during the election time but throughout their time in office because Black Lives Matter every day and not just during the election,” Lenard said.
Lenard also feels that the Democrats could do more for African Americans as she believes the Black community is arguably the most neglected community in the country.
Besides the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, racial issues have been a priority in this election and perhaps even a game changer for voters. While people may agree that America is a great country, it has an ongoing hatred for the Black community by oppressing the race for years after slavery and segregation ended. The Democratic Party has taken the ugly truth of America and has considered this when making policies in efforts to create equal opportunity in America.
Another FAMU student, Jaelyn Gutton, believes the left wing has done a lot for African Americans in the past, but thinks their priority for the community has declined.
“As the years progressed I don’t think the division has steered away but there is less of a fight from the Democratic Party. In a sense we hold these values, morals and beliefs, but we are not going to fight hard enough,”Gutton said.
There is a desire for change in the Black community due to the deeply rooted history of systematic racism in America. Celebrities like Ice Cube have been willing to work with both political parties in an attempt to help the Black community.
“I’m willing to work with both teams, but I’m just working with whoever is willing to work with me,” Ice Cube said in an interview with CNN.
While the Democrats have always banked on the Black vote it is imperative that they stay true to their words to help the Black community win or lose on Tuesday.