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GOP
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Traditionally, Democrats relied heavily on Black churches to handle their GOTV work among Black voters. On the Sunday before Election Day, many Black churches would charter buses to bring parishioners to the local polling place after services. This operation was known as "Souls to the Polls." It worked very well for decades, but it is not working at all anymore. What happened?
Bus drivers' strike? No. Bus charter prices are through the roof? No. Parking problems at the polls? No. Young Black voters don't go to church anymore. Souls to the Polls is still in effect and still works for older Black voters, but they were never much in doubt. It is the younger ones, especially young Black men, where the Democrats are having problems, and many of them have abandoned organized religion altogether. One 2021 survey showed that fully a third of Black Gen Z millennials identified as nonreligious, compared to 11% of Black Baby Boomers. And of the Black Gen Zers who do go to church, only half go to a church with Black clergy, compared to two-thirds of Black Boomers. In the past, the Democrats could sign up all the Black pastors in an area to do the Souls to the Polls thing and be pretty sure of covering the vast majority of Black voters. That simply isn't true anymore.
Kamala Harris understands this, and is working on other ways to reach young Black voters. Her campaign is heavily on social media and does outreach on HBCU campuses. It shows up at music festivals and sporting events. It also has contact with the Divine Nine Black fraternities and sororities. Together they have 4 million members.
Another survey reinforces the problem. Among young Black voters, Black pastors rank below Black business leaders and even local Black politicians in terms of respect. Other data back this up. Only 68% of Black Baptists view themselves as Democrats now, down from 78% 50 years ago. Those who left the church also left the Democratic Party. But it cuts both ways. One pastor, Dwight McKissic, said: "I honestly don't believe it should be the purpose of a church to try to persuade people to vote for any particular candidate." So Harris clearly needs other ways to get to (young) Black voters. The old ways don't work anymore. (V)