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Who Voted in 2010

As day follows night, black voters are blamed when Democrats lose an election. The 2010 midterm election was no exception.

Election after election, reports show African Americans turn out on Election Day. Democrats’ problem is with white Democrats who don’t show up or white independent voters who abandon them as they did in 2010.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports African Americans increased their share of the electorate, from 11 percent in 2006 (the last midterm election) to 12 percent in 2010. It is noted that black turnout was “not statistically different from the record high in 1998.”

In 2010, the overall turnout rate was 45.5 percent. White turnout was 46.7 percent compared to 43.5 percent for blacks.

There was a gender gap in black voter participation. Black female turnout was 43.5 percent. For black men, the turnout rate was 37.2 percent.

Hispanic and Asian turnout was 31.2 percent and 31.7 percent respectively.

As for Hispanics being “the largest and fastest growing minority,” those numbers don’t mean a thing if they can’t swing an election. And if you can’t vote, you don’t count.

The Census Bureau reports that 33.8 percent of Hispanics age 18 and over are registered to vote.

Tellingly, of the 32,457,000 voting-age Hispanics, 21,285,000 are citizens. Of those eligible to vote, 51.6 percent – 10,982,000 – are registered to vote.

Read more: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2010 - Detailed Tables

Ask a Woman Who Knows

Last week the leaders of two civil rights organizations, Marc Morial and Benjamin Jealous, met with President Obama to discuss job creation and economic growth.

The readout of the meeting notes that Obama “congratulated the leaders on their upcoming conventions.”

As expected, my post about black female civil rights leaders being left out of the meeting sparked accusations that I am a “hater.” My response: Guilty as charged.

I hate that Wells Fargo was the “Lead Sponsor” of the NAACP’s 101st annual convention. And they’re still hooked up in Los Angeles.

The predatory lender was a “Principal Sponsor” of the National Urban League’s centennial conference, and will be back on board when the League kicks off its annual conference this week.

Now check this out: On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve Board ordered Wells Fargo to pay an $85 million fine for steering borrowers with good credit into subprime loans. I hate when that happens.

The order reads:

The $85 million civil money penalty is the largest the Board has assessed in a consumer-protection enforcement action and is the first formal enforcement action taken by a federal bank regulatory agency to address alleged steering of borrowers into high-cost, subprime loans.

[…]

The order addresses allegations that Wells Fargo Financial sales personnel steered borrowers who were potentially eligible for prime interest rate loans into loans at higher, subprime interest rates, resulting in greater costs to borrowers. The order also addresses separate allegations that Wells Fargo Financial sales personnel falsified information about borrowers’ incomes to make it appear that the borrowers qualified for loans when they would not have qualified based on their actual incomes.

I have been asked to identify the black women leaders who should have been invited. I will not name names because that would be a betrayal of their trust. Although they know their stuff, they would be ostracized and penalized for breaking the silence.

And I would really hate for that to happen.

UPDATE: The Huffington Post reports the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Wells Fargo for “allegedly preying upon African American borrowers during the housing bubble and steering them into high-cost subprime loans.”

What About Black Women Leaders

It is hot as hell in DC. It is even hotter under the collars of some African American women who are asking: Are we not civil rights leaders?

The women were set off by the news that President Obama was scheduled to meet with the leaders of two civil rights organizations – National Urban League President Marc Morial and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous. A readout of the meeting said "the President discussed the continued efforts his administration is making to spur job creation and economic growth."

The readout noted:

The President also reiterated that reducing unemployment, which disproportionately burdens the African-American community at 16.2%, remains a top priority for him and his Administration. The President also spoke with the two civil rights leaders about dramatic efforts his Administration has already made to address urban economic development through initiatives such as Strong Cities, Strong Communities, a program that acts to spur economic growth in urban centers while ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely and efficiently; the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions fund; and the Minority Business Development Agency at the Department of Commerce.

This is the second time in two years that Obama has held a meeting with civil rights leaders and no black woman had a seat at the table.

In February 2010, the late Dr. Dorothy I. Height was the only black woman invited to the Urban Economy Summit. The then-97-year-old could not attend because of the extreme snow conditions.

There was extreme heat yesterday, but black women leaders felt a cold chill when they realized history was repeating itself. While they're not ready to go on the record, they told me they won't be silent much longer. They have earned a seat at the table. More important, they want to ensure issues of importance to black women and black families are addressed.

And lest the knee-jerk “hater” is bandied about, these are women who year-after-year -- election-after-election -- make things happen. All they're asking for is a little respect.

Voting Wrongs 2.0

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was intended to remove discriminatory barriers to the ballot box. The promise of the 15th Amendment was realized when President Johnson signed the bill on Aug. 6, 1965.

During the signing ceremony, Johnson said:

This act flows from a clear and simple wrong. Its only purpose is to right that wrong. Millions of Americans are denied the right to vote because of their color. This law will ensure them the right to vote. The wrong is one which no American, in his heart, can justify. The right is one which no American, true to our principles, can deny.

[…]

There were those who said this is an old injustice, and there is no need to hurry. But 95 years have passed since the 15th amendment gave all Negroes the right to vote.

Johnson added:

This law covers many pages. But the heart of the act is plain. Wherever, by clear and objective standards, States and counties are using regulations, or laws, or tests to deny the right to vote, then they will be struck down. If it is dear that State officials still intend to discriminate, then Federal examiners will be sent in to register all eligible voters. When the prospect of discrimination is gone, the examiners will be immediately withdrawn.

Fast forward to today. Republican governors are signing bills that would reinstate barriers to the right to vote. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that since 2008, photo ID laws have been enacted in Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill that places restrictions on third-party voter registration groups like the League of Women Voters. The new election law shortens the early voting period. The Sun Sentinel reported:

In 2008, more than half of the African-American voters in Florida who participated in the historic election of President Barack Obama did it by voting early.

In the state’s largest counties, with the highest number of black voters, many voters went to the early voting sites on the Sunday before Election Day.

Now, under a new law — passed by a Republican Legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Scott last month — that early voting period has been cut from 14 days to eight days. And the Sunday voting, before Election Day, has been eliminated.

A coalition of civil rights organizations has seen enough. The groups are holding a press conference today at 9:30am the National Press Club to address voter suppression efforts:

More and more states across the nation are enacting burdensome voter ID bills using general unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and ignoring the disparate impact upon voters who have traditionally been disadvantaged, including minorities, the elderly, youth, low-income Americans and those with disabilities. Additionally, faulty citizenship matching, elimination of voting locations and voter intimidation efforts all place unjust impediments to the fundamental right to vote. National civil rights organizations are joining together to bring attention to the potential impact of such laws and suppression efforts and discuss efforts to fight back and educate voters.

The participants will include:

• Rev Jesse L. Jackson Sr., Rainbow PUSH Coalition
• Barbara R. Arnwine and Tanya Clay House, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Wade Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• Kim Keenan, NAACP
• Chanelle Hardy, National Urban League
• Victor Sanchez, United States Student Association
• Deven Anderson, Black Youth Vote!

For more info, contact Stacie Royster.

Young Black Voters Turned Out in 2010

A newly released analysis of Census data by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found that young black voters had the highest youth turnout rate in the 2010 midterm elections.

CIRCLE reported:

In 2010, young African Americans voted at a rate of 27.5%. This was an increase from the 2006 Midterm elections, when 24.0% of young African Americans had voted. The relatively strong showing continues a trend from 2008, when young African Americans showed the highest turnout rate among any youth racial/ethnic group since 1972. Despite lower levels of turnout all around, young African American voters are still relatively engaged politically.

As Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, reminds us, “Don’t believe the hype.” In every election, black voters show up and turn out.

Read more: The Youth Vote in 2010: Final Estimates Based on Census Data

Where the Action Is

The National Action Network’s 13th annual convention opened to a packed house. In his opening remarks, NAN President and Founder Al Sharpton said:

This is a working conference. That’s why we call it National Action Network, not National Pontification Network or National Procrastination Network.

Sharpton derided “activists who have never been in a fight”:

There’s a difference between an academician and an activist.

While I was looking forward to the first panel, “Politics 2011-2012: What are the Issues?,” I tuned out the speakers almost from the start. With the exception of a white woman, Jacqueline Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org, all of the panelists were men. The optics were more 1961 than 2011.

Black women make up 53 percent of the black vote, but there was no black female panelist to talk about our issues. I have an issue with that.

So I have half-listened. My ears perked up when Rev. Frederick Haynes III laid out his agenda: economic justice, education justice, and a just foreign policy. He invoked Dr. King’s prophetic warning that “bombs dropped in Vietnam explode at home.”

Dr. Haynes said bombs dropped in Iraq. Afghanistan and Libya are exploding in this country. He questioned the trillions of dollars for war but no money for the poor. He said it’s past time to organize a “coalition of justice” to counter the Tea Party movement.

Sharpton plans to mobilize and energize black voters now:

We can’t wait till next year. There are some elections this year. And where there are no elections -- practice. Walk to the voting place.

I’m telling you these people are mean. They want to cut out Head Start, Pell grants, Social Security. We can’t say we are all for something if we don’t turn out. Without turnout it doesn’t count...We got to have turnout. Politics is about self-interest but it’s also about a process.

Sharpton’s call for grassroots action was echoed by David Axelrod, President Obama’s chief political strategist who left the White House to work on the reelection campaign. Axelrod said:

One of our great tasks for 2012 is registration and mobilization. Job number one is to get people registered and participating in the process.

I didn’t attend the gala, where President Obama delivered remarks:

It is wonderful to be here as you celebrate your 20th anniversary. Some things have changed a lot since 1991. I told Reverend Al backstage he’s getting skinnier than me. He’s getting skinnier than Spike. But he hasn’t lost his sense of style. The other thing that hasn’t changed is the National Action Network’s commitment to fight injustice and inequality here in New York City and across America. And that’s not only a testament to Reverend Sharpton. It’s a testament to all of you who are here tonight. I want to commend you for the work that you’ve done over the last two decades to lift up not only the African American community but the broader American family. That’s what you’re about.

The convention runs until Saturday. Follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #NANConv2011.

Women's History Month 2011

March is Women's History Month. This year's theme is: Our History is Our Strength.

Later this month, black women will roll out an empowerment initiative. For now, I want to share a newly released White House report, Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being, the first comprehensive federal analysis of the status of women since the 1963 report of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women established by President Kennedy.

In a statement, Valerie Jarrett, chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, said:

The Obama Administration has been focused on addressing the challenges faced by women and girls from day one because we know that the success of women and girls is vital to winning the future. Today's report not only serves as a look back on American women's lives, but serves as a guidepost to help us move forward.

Rebecca Blank, Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce, added:

With this report, this administration can more effectively manage programs that support women and girls and America’s families, and foster the growth of the U.S. economy.

For more info, visit Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being.