The outcome of the Democratic presidential primary could make history, but whose history?
With an African American and a woman emerging as serious contenders for the presidency, black female voters find themselves in a unique position – should they base their vote on race or gender?
But many say when they step in the voting booth on Tuesday, ethnicity and gender will be the last things on their mind.
Sixth Ward Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett said black women are much more complex than that and race was never an “overruling factor” in her strong public support for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.).
Kerri Gwinn-Harris, a local business owner who is supporting U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), agreed. She said, “It’s not about black or white, but it’s about the issues.”
In interviews with nearly a dozen black women across the St. Louis area, most said their choice comes down to the candidates’ stances on the core issues of concern to Democrats – health care, the economy, education, ending the war in Iraq.
But are voters truly looking beyond race? Michael Minta, a political science professor at Washington University, said no.
He said because Clinton and Obama are affiliated with the same party, there is not a huge difference between their political views. “What it really boils down to is if voters like that person or if they trust that person,” Minta said. “They start making judgments on other things like race or gender.”
Although Obama and Clinton have asked not to be considered on the basis of race or gender, both have conducted intense drives for the black female vote, believing that voting sector could ultimately determine whether a white woman or black man will become president.
So far Clinton is winning the battle, polls show. Obama heads into Super Tuesday trailing Clinton in most of the big states, including Missouri, which has chosen the winning president in every election but one.
However, Minta said Obama’s win in Iowa reassured many black voters that he was a viable candidate and has a chance of winning the Democratic bid. Obama’s youthfulness and high-minded themes of hope and change are speaking loudly to many Americans.
Beyond Oprah Winfrey and Toni Morrison’s high-profile endorsements, it is not difficult to find black women who have confidence that Obama is ready to take on the White House now.
“We are at a turning point to do worse or to do better,” said Comptroller Darlene Green. “Barack Obama gives us a chance to do better.”
The fact that he is black is just an added bonus, said attorney Ronda Williams, 36.
“I think that Obama really represents something new and different in politics,” Williams said.
But for some black women, Obama’s message is too vague and does not match up to Clinton’s experience in politics or her husband’s appeal to the black community – even after recent damage to Bill Clinton’s reputation for raising race as an issue with the Obama campaign.
“Hillary is experienced, passionate and will hit the ground running from day one,” said State Rep. Esther Haywood, the only black female among local elected officials who has endorsed Clinton.
To Lucille Bowman, a retired schoolteacher who is supporting Obama, the answer is simpler. She feels that a man would be a stronger than a woman. She rendered a harsh judgment on Clinton for the moment before the New Hampshire primary when she teared up after being asked about the rigors of the campaign.
“I’m a supporter of women, but some of these women, I don’t see the strength in them,” Bowman said. “If you’re going to be out there with the big dogs, you have to be strong.”
It also doesn’t hurt that Obama is married to Michelle Obama, a dynamic and ambitious Princeton graduate whose direct approach with voters, especially on issues of race, has boosted her husband’s campaign by drawing in both black and female voters.
“There is always a sense of pride when you see Barack Obama and his beautiful wife and his two beautiful daughters – that the strong black family does exist,” said Triplett, who heads the Women for Obama campaign in Missouri.
Race has dominated much of the narrative in this year’s campaign, but leaders and voters are making appeals for the candidates and media to focus on other issues.
“Stop focusing so much on the color of our vote and start focusing on the substance of our situation,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson said after the South Carolina primary.
Rita Russell, 41, who lives in St. Louis, said, “There’s too much at stake in this country to just vote for someone based on race or gender.”
But, she admitted, “It would be great if we had a black female. That would be a really big change.”
Obama in town Saturday
Barack Obama will be in St. Louis at 9 pm on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008, at the Edwards Jones Dome. Doors open at 7 pm and no ticket is required. The event is free and open to the public.