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February 2, 2000_________________ ____ FOCUS
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M„,„h Rap sheet a detriment to black empowerment
m N urm J ’ akrisu
U.S. Rep. James E. Clybum believes
a detrim ent to black political
empowerment exists in a new form
today: The rap sheet.
In the early h a lfo f the 20th century
hindrances likethe old “poll tax” or
"grandfather clause” kept African
Americans from the ballot. But in
14 states, African Americans have
permanently lost voting privileges
because o f felony convictions. And
many of these states have large black
populations.
For example, one-third o f African-
A m erican men in Florida and
Alabama can’t vote because they
have felony co n v ictio n s, said
Clybum, chairof theCongressional
Black Caucus. The prohibition on
felons being permitted to vote is
just one challenge facing African-
American officials as they seek
power in the new millennium.
Black politicians m ust survive
redistricting o f legislative districts
after the 2000 U.S. Census is taken
this year. And som e A frican-
A m erican o fficials, like other
politicians, will have to attract
Hispanic voters, who are expected
to replace blacks as the largest
minority group in the United States
this century. Interestingly, the
dem ographic changes com e as
A fric a n -A m e ric a n p o litic ia n s
struggle to keep members o f their
own race happy. In cities with black
majority populations, like Gary,
Baltimore, and Oakland, whites
have replaced blacks as mayors.
Still, a record 8,868 blacks held
electiveofficeintheU .S. in January
1999, according to the latest data
available from the W ashington,
D.C.-based Joint Center for Political
and Economic Studies. At the turn
o f the 20th Century, there were less
than 50 African-American officials,
estimated David Bositis, senior
research associate for the center.
“Every year the number o f (black
officials) gets higher and higher and
higher,” Bositis said.
But whites continue to remain in the
most powerful political offices.
Blacks are absent from seats in the
U.S. Senate, governor mansions and
of course the white House. Except
forarareCarol Mosley-Braun, who
recently served as a senator from
Illinois, or Douglas Wilder, the
former Virginia governor, blacks
usually lack support from whites
when they seek statewide office.
“There are a significant number of
p o lls th a t say u n d e r no
circumstances would I vote for a
black candidate,” said Claybome
C arson, a Stanford U niversity
history professor and editor o f the
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. papers.
“That is not a burden that whites
would have to face . . . It takes the
right candidate to get over the
handicap. It’slike playing basketball
and saying you are down five to
nothing. And 20 years ago, you
w ould have been down 20 to
nothing. And 50 years ago, you
w ould have been down 50 to
nothing.”
During the beginning o f the 1900s,
black officials were under siege by
various laws imposed by white
southerners. In eight states, the
infam ous “grandfather clause”
effectively restricted the right to
vote to white descendants. In 1915,
the U.S. Supreme Court finally
d e c la re d
th o se
law s
unconstitutional. But poll taxes,
which were arbitrarily placed on
blacks when they attempted to vote,
weren’t declared unconstitutional
u n til 1964 w hen the 24th
Amendment was passed.
“One thing you have to remember is
if it happened before, it can happen
again,” said Clybum, a Democratic
congressman who used to teach high
school history in South Carolina.
Fearing several new laws threaten
black political power, Clybum is
a tte m p tin g to get su p p o rt to
eliminate laws that permanently
prevent blacks from voting if they
are convicted o f a crime. He said
that too many blacks are kept off
voting rolls because o f such laws,
especially in states with large black
populations.
However, he said, the four states
that don’t barprisoners from voting
have large white populations: Utah,
V erm o n t,
M aine
and
Massachusetts. He points out that
in Massachusetts, you can be a
convicted murderer in jail and vote
absentee.
Legislation to change the laws is
stuck in congressional Committees,
Clybum says. In a recent debate to
grab the Democratic nomination for
president, former U.S. Sen. Bill
Bradley and Vice President A1 Gore
said they would consider reviewing
laws that prevent felons from voting.
“I just think it is unacceptable to
allow African-American men to lose
their right to vote,” Clybum said.
The congressman also plans to keep
his eye on what happens when
districts are redrawn after Census
data is collected. Some black
o ffic ia ls fear fellow A frican
Americans will be undercounted in
the Census as in the past. A Joint
Center for Political and Economic
Studies report suggested that
Democratic participation in drawing
district lines might be affected by
the new census. In other words,
black officials, who tend to be
members o f the Democratic Party,
could be drawn out o f districts that
are heavily Democratic into ones
that favor Republicans. The report
said, "w ith partisan control in
several southern state legislatures
shifting to the Republicans many
southern black legislators may be
serving in the minority party the
next time new district lines are
drawn.”
No matter how the districts are
maybe spend some time in Asia.”
While black candidates are reaching
out to other cultures they also must
keep th e ir b lack c o n stitu e n ts
pleased. If they don’t, black voters
may turn to white candidates, like
some did in Gary, Ind., which along
with Cleveland landed in 1967 the
nations first black big city mayors.
Today, the heavily black populated
Indiana steel city has a w hite
mayor— Scott King.
“The electorate is becoming more
sophisticated,” King said. “They
are going to vote for who is best
suited to be elected.”
Carson was more blunt.
Clybum said he would like to see
blacks integrate the Senate and
governors’ offices.
composed, however, many officials
agree that black politicians will have
to market themselves to compete in
a multicultural society if they want
to survive politically.
“I think it is going to be important
that we work with other groups,”
said Michelle Kourouma, executive
director o f the National Conference
of Black Mayors. “We will have to
build coalitions.”
Carson had a similar view.
“The big question is whether black
candidates and white candidates
u n d e rsta n d the m u ltic u ltu ra l
nature,” he said. “I think if I were
going to give som e advice to
someone, I would tell them if you
are going to be president o f the
United States, learn Spanish and
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A Black History Education and Tribute to?
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L937-1986
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4:00 p.m.
9
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Program includes:
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at
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4222'5iE-J2th Avenue
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Dr. T.riJjtfrrBetliel, S e n id f^ a s to r
For more information, contact
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