The Barbershop: So, we’re gonna get into the why of voter suppression in 2021.
Socrates: To understand what’s going on with voter suppression today, you must look back in history to see how America has changed demographically. It was the historic demographic makeup that allowed America to maintain its political fiction of democracy while running an apartheid social system, aka Jim Crow.
Black voter suppression is a result of two mutually reinforced dynamics in white America. The first is socio/economic, which maintained America’s racial caste structure. The second is literally maintaining the white political hegemony.
Let’s start with the caste structure. Everything white America did to us from 1877 to the 1950s had to do with maintaining the racial caste structure that replaced slavery.
Denying Black people the vote after Reconstruction had more to do with denying us the ultimate symbol of citizenship and equality than anything else. During this period, Black political involvement would have never threatened white political dominance. Blacks were never more than 12% percent of the population.
The Barbershop: I understand we represented a substantial percentage of the population in Southern states. But we voted with northern Republican interests. Why weren’t they more active in supporting our political interests.
Socrates: The Compromise of 1877. Southern white Democrats supported Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, in exchange for Republicans pulling federal troops out of the South. This was Reconstruction’s end.
The Barbershop: Yeah, almost 100 years of white racial terrorism, lynching, white mobs assaulting and destroying Black communities all over the country. But I can never understand why?
Socrates: Our progress in building community, beginning one generation removed from slavery and continuing into the 20th century posed a serious threat to the idea of white supremacy. A threat to white supremacy anywhere becomes a threat to white supremacy everywhere.
The Barbershop: Is this where we’re supposed to ask, ‘what changed Socrates?’
Socrates: The short answer is the Voting Rights Act and the Immigration and Naturalization Act. Both happened in 1965. Together, they explain why white right-wing Republicans are locked in on Black voter suppression and anti-immigration laws in 2021.
The Barbershop: We know about Voting Rights Act stopped Southern states (the Confederacy) from changing voting procedures unless they were pre-cleared by the Justice Department. DOJ. Help us with how the Immigration Act comes into play.
Socrates: The Immigration and Naturalization Act removed racial quotas on immigration. From the late 1800s until 1965, basically no one from Africa, Asia, South America or the Caribbean could legally immigrate to the United States.
Here’s what the 2020 Census will probably conclude. Non-Hispanic whites will still be most of the population. But they now will only make up 59.7% of the U.S. population. The non-white Hispanic population will constitute 18.5%, the Black population 13.4% and Asians will comprise 5.6%.
A deeper look into the numbers will explain reactionary white racist panic. In 2020, most people under 18 were People of Color (POC). By 2027, POC will be the majority in the age cohort from 18-29. By 2033, most people from 30-39 will be POC. Another way to look at it, in a little more than 10 years, most Americans under 40 will be POC.
The younger America gets, the less white it will become. America’s demographic destiny is sealed. This will soon become a majority non-white country.
The Barbershop: They’re doing voter suppression because it’s the only they can maintain political control.
Socrates: They’re doing much more than voter suppression; they’re proposing legislation that will make it possible for Republican controlled legislatures to change the outcomes of elections on little more than a white whim. They’re not just suppressing Black voter turnout, but also negating the votes of Black people.
Socrates: Guess what two states have the largest Black populations? Texas and Florida. Texas also has the largest Hispanic population.
Along with Arizona and Georgia, wanna guess what two states are leading the charge with the most aggressive proposed voter suppression laws?
The Barbershop: Let me guess, Texas and Florida!
Socrates: You got it!
The Barbershop: I get why they are coming so hard, for white nationalist America, aka the Republican Party, this is a ride or die political moment. What really scares the hell out of me though, is 75 million people voted for Trump.
Socrates: Yeah, that’s a whole lot of angry, scared, emotionally unhinged white people looking for somebody to blame for their troubles, and there appears to be no limit to what they’re prepared to do.
The Barbershop: Socrates, how you deal with that kinda….., you know?
Socrates: Because they’ve been doing white supremacy lines since 1619, they’re too high to reason with, too coked up to quit. You’re gonna have to beat them, no quarter given, none asked.
The Barbershop: Are we up for that?
Socrates: Let me take this call, and then I’ll answer your very legit question.
To be continued…