On Nov. 5, America chose patriarchy over progress, carnage over sanity — insurrection over integrity.
Thanks, in part, to Joe Biden’s hubris, combined with the ineptitude of the Democratic Party, Donald Trump will once again be handed the keys to the Oval Office. Not only that, he will have the ultimate trifecta; a newly minted Republican Senate, retaining a House majority, and a conservative supermajority in the U.S. Supreme Court — of which he appointed three justices — on the same day the virtues of Martin Luther King Jr. are traditionally extolled.
And while there’s plenty of blame to be passed around, exit polls make it abundantly clear who the culprit isn’t.
Yes, the same brothas who’ve been dogged for decades for lagging behind our beautiful Black queens in the trenches. The same brothas that are “easily lured” by the Herschel Walkers of the political landscape. The same brothas Barack Obama felt compelled to reprimand in a last-ditch effort to propel Vice President Kamala Harris to victory. The same brothas who felt “demeaned” and patronized by an opportunity agenda that included forgivable loans, the federal legalization of marijuana, mentorship programs, and other intriguing possibilities — of which none will now come to fruition.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when it comes to Trump’s latest flirtation with totalitarianism, the onus doesn’t fall on Black men. According to NBC News’ national exit polls, 77% of Black men voted for Harris — second only to Black women at 91%.
Credit: NBC News National Exit Poll
And for those curious, Black men have kept that same energy for nearly a century. Whether it was at the behest of Anna Arnold Hedgeman throughout Harry Truman’s reelection campaign in 1948, giving John F. Kennedy the tush push he needed in Illinois, Michigan, and New York, in order to emerge victorious over Richard Nixon in 1960, or holding down our own in 2008 to help usher in America’s first Black president.
We’ve been there — and always have. Ballot in hand, arm-in-arm with the same Black women who’ve always fought for our rights and democracy.
Prior to the election, I spoke with Black Voters Matter co-founder Cliff Albright to specifically address rampant misconceptions about the Black male voter. “Every election cycle, Black men do what we do: We vote for our issues, we vote for our interests, and we vote overwhelmingly progressive,” he said.
However, before a single vote was cast, we all saw washed-up NFL stars Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell fulfill their civic duties as MAGA mascots at a Trump rally in October, while the latter was seen parading around in a “Trump or Tramp” T-shirt shortly thereafter. We also spent months being tormented by rapper Waka Flocka Flame’s boisterous Trump support — even though he was later revealed to be a serial non-voter. These high-profile spurts of lunacy are the exact behaviors that further fuel the perception of Black men as being “civic deadbeats.” But as Albright was quick to note — and as exit polls would later confirm — reality and internet conjecture are mutually exclusive. Black men such as these are merely anomalies, yet to the public, they represent the views and values of the majority.
While Black boys are perceived as menacing adults, their adult counterparts are treated the opposite by politicians and society at large. The very concept of White fragility requires a certain level of paternalism, leaving Black men to endure a reality in which we’re treated like pets instead of peers.
As a result, these tropes make it easy to dismiss Black men as unruly or impulsive, incapable of demonstrating sound judgment, and, in turn, putting our communities at risk of danger or exploitation — by merely existing. This dehumanizing dynamic also puts us in a position of having to audition for our humanity, whether it’s with elected officials, the police, or even our own loved ones. It’s an uphill battle we never win, as our reputations have been marred by accusations of hypersexuality, self-indulgence, political apathy, and a deep disdain for Black women — which hindered our vice president’s path to victory.
Each of these aspersions is used to justify the infantilization of Black men. While Black boys are perceived as menacing adults, their adult counterparts are treated the opposite by politicians and society at large. The very concept of White fragility requires a certain level of paternalism, leaving Black men to endure a reality in which we’re treated like pets instead of peers. As long as our views align with their goals, we get scratched behind our ears. But should we dare deviate from the script and imperil their delicate savior complex, suddenly we’re “pussy,” “ain’t Black” — as Biden once famously declared — or worse.
This phenomenon was further explored in recent discourse between celebrated author Ta-Nehisi Coates and award-winning journalist Marc Lamont Hill, who openly questioned the Democratic Party’s penchant to chide — instead of champion — Black male support.
“I don’t know that this party knows how to talk to brothas,” Coates said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone pitch a group that you wanted to vote for you, the way I saw Barack Obama pitch Black men.”
He isn’t alone because I haven’t, either.
Obama sure as hell would never talk down to White men — of which only 37% voted for Harris — like that. Nor would he patronize White women in that manner, despite 53% of them voting against their own uterus.
But as Black men, I suppose that’s the reward for our fealty. Our loyalty has yet to falter. Herbert Hoover would be the last Republican presidential nominee to nearly accomplish such a feat — yet our disenchantment with the Democratic Party, the same party that refuses to acknowledge our longstanding adherence to their cause, blooms with each passing day.
Sign up for Critical Thinking, a newsletter from Editor-in-Chief Jamil Smith. An essential dispatch on race and racism, delivered straight to your inbox.
In the aftermath of Harris’ devastating loss, there is much to be considered — Biden giving his vice president a mere 100 days to slay Goliath, the Biden administration’s favoritism toward Israel, Trump appealing to the same working-class voters the Democrats alienated — but here’s one question that’s very much overdue: Where is the gratitude for Black male voters? Black women deserve every last one of their flowers, but after decades of devotion, it’d be nice for us to get a tulip or two, too.
“At the end of the day, we’re gonna show up,” Albright said. “Don’t believe the narratives about who we are and what we’re gonna do.”
While those words apply to many, at the front of the line is an ungrateful Democratic Party itself.
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For Black male voters, apologies are in order, and some respect would also be nice
Jay Connor a Los Angeles-based writer, producer, consultant, and founder of Extraordinary Ideas. Where he serves as the co-host and producer of the popular podcast “The Extraordinary Negroes” in addition to serving as senior editor at The Root. His work has been featured in prestigious outlets such as The New York Times, Pitchfork, MSNBC, The Root, NPR, Time magazine, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, South by Southwest, and many others.
More by Jay Connor
For Black male voters, apologies are in order, and some respect would also be nice
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The dust has settled. The die is cast.
On Nov. 5, America chose patriarchy over progress, carnage over sanity — insurrection over integrity.
Thanks, in part, to Joe Biden’s hubris, combined with the ineptitude of the Democratic Party, Donald Trump will once again be handed the keys to the Oval Office. Not only that, he will have the ultimate trifecta; a newly minted Republican Senate, retaining a House majority, and a conservative supermajority in the U.S. Supreme Court — of which he appointed three justices — on the same day the virtues of Martin Luther King Jr. are traditionally extolled.
And while there’s plenty of blame to be passed around, exit polls make it abundantly clear who the culprit isn’t.
And that would be Black men.
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Why do we keep expecting White women to vote differently?
Post-election dispatches from ‘Beigistan’
Black women don’t owe you likability
Who is representing you?
Yes, the same brothas who’ve been dogged for decades for lagging behind our beautiful Black queens in the trenches. The same brothas that are “easily lured” by the Herschel Walkers of the political landscape. The same brothas Barack Obama felt compelled to reprimand in a last-ditch effort to propel Vice President Kamala Harris to victory. The same brothas who felt “demeaned” and patronized by an opportunity agenda that included forgivable loans, the federal legalization of marijuana, mentorship programs, and other intriguing possibilities — of which none will now come to fruition.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when it comes to Trump’s latest flirtation with totalitarianism, the onus doesn’t fall on Black men. According to NBC News’ national exit polls, 77% of Black men voted for Harris — second only to Black women at 91%.
And for those curious, Black men have kept that same energy for nearly a century. Whether it was at the behest of Anna Arnold Hedgeman throughout Harry Truman’s reelection campaign in 1948, giving John F. Kennedy the tush push he needed in Illinois, Michigan, and New York, in order to emerge victorious over Richard Nixon in 1960, or holding down our own in 2008 to help usher in America’s first Black president.
We’ve been there — and always have. Ballot in hand, arm-in-arm with the same Black women who’ve always fought for our rights and democracy.
Prior to the election, I spoke with Black Voters Matter co-founder Cliff Albright to specifically address rampant misconceptions about the Black male voter. “Every election cycle, Black men do what we do: We vote for our issues, we vote for our interests, and we vote overwhelmingly progressive,” he said.
However, before a single vote was cast, we all saw washed-up NFL stars Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell fulfill their civic duties as MAGA mascots at a Trump rally in October, while the latter was seen parading around in a “Trump or Tramp” T-shirt shortly thereafter. We also spent months being tormented by rapper Waka Flocka Flame’s boisterous Trump support — even though he was later revealed to be a serial non-voter. These high-profile spurts of lunacy are the exact behaviors that further fuel the perception of Black men as being “civic deadbeats.” But as Albright was quick to note — and as exit polls would later confirm — reality and internet conjecture are mutually exclusive. Black men such as these are merely anomalies, yet to the public, they represent the views and values of the majority.
As a result, these tropes make it easy to dismiss Black men as unruly or impulsive, incapable of demonstrating sound judgment, and, in turn, putting our communities at risk of danger or exploitation — by merely existing. This dehumanizing dynamic also puts us in a position of having to audition for our humanity, whether it’s with elected officials, the police, or even our own loved ones. It’s an uphill battle we never win, as our reputations have been marred by accusations of hypersexuality, self-indulgence, political apathy, and a deep disdain for Black women — which hindered our vice president’s path to victory.
Each of these aspersions is used to justify the infantilization of Black men. While Black boys are perceived as menacing adults, their adult counterparts are treated the opposite by politicians and society at large. The very concept of White fragility requires a certain level of paternalism, leaving Black men to endure a reality in which we’re treated like pets instead of peers. As long as our views align with their goals, we get scratched behind our ears. But should we dare deviate from the script and imperil their delicate savior complex, suddenly we’re “pussy,” “ain’t Black” — as Biden once famously declared — or worse.
This phenomenon was further explored in recent discourse between celebrated author Ta-Nehisi Coates and award-winning journalist Marc Lamont Hill, who openly questioned the Democratic Party’s penchant to chide — instead of champion — Black male support.
“I don’t know that this party knows how to talk to brothas,” Coates said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone pitch a group that you wanted to vote for you, the way I saw Barack Obama pitch Black men.”
He isn’t alone because I haven’t, either.
Obama sure as hell would never talk down to White men — of which only 37% voted for Harris — like that. Nor would he patronize White women in that manner, despite 53% of them voting against their own uterus.
But as Black men, I suppose that’s the reward for our fealty. Our loyalty has yet to falter. Herbert Hoover would be the last Republican presidential nominee to nearly accomplish such a feat — yet our disenchantment with the Democratic Party, the same party that refuses to acknowledge our longstanding adherence to their cause, blooms with each passing day.
Sign up for Critical Thinking, a newsletter from Editor-in-Chief Jamil Smith. An essential dispatch on race and racism, delivered straight to your inbox.
In the aftermath of Harris’ devastating loss, there is much to be considered — Biden giving his vice president a mere 100 days to slay Goliath, the Biden administration’s favoritism toward Israel, Trump appealing to the same working-class voters the Democrats alienated — but here’s one question that’s very much overdue: Where is the gratitude for Black male voters? Black women deserve every last one of their flowers, but after decades of devotion, it’d be nice for us to get a tulip or two, too.
“At the end of the day, we’re gonna show up,” Albright said. “Don’t believe the narratives about who we are and what we’re gonna do.”
While those words apply to many, at the front of the line is an ungrateful Democratic Party itself.
Jay Connor
Jay Connor a Los Angeles-based writer, producer, consultant, and founder of Extraordinary Ideas. Where he serves as the co-host and producer of the popular podcast “The Extraordinary Negroes” in addition to serving as senior editor at The Root. His work has been featured in prestigious outlets such as The New York Times, Pitchfork, MSNBC, The Root, NPR, Time magazine, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, South by Southwest, and many others. More by Jay Connor