Jas M. Sullivan

The Effects of Black Identity on Candidate Evaluations: An Exploratory Study

Although Barack Obama’s entrance into the 2008 presidential campaign has been warmly received by Whites, Blacks have been somewhat ambivalent. Some even have claimed that Obama is not “Black.” The case of Barack Obama brings to the forefront the prospect of intragroup identity differences that exist among Blacks and the potential importance of a candidate’s racial background in elections. Consequently, the authors ask the following questions: (a) Does the racial background of a political candidate affect Black voters’ support and evaluation of a candidate’s personal attributes (i.e., trust, concern, strength, and qualification)? and (b) Focusing purely on the treatment groups separately (White, biracial, and Black candidates), does Black identity affect Blacks’ support and evaluation of a candidate’s personal attributes? The experimental results of this exploratory study find race does make a difference on candidate support, and Black identity influences the way in which Black respondents perceive White, biracial, and Black candidates. As a result, these findings suggest that differences in how Blacks feel about a candidate will depend on the candidate’s racial background, their own attitudes and beliefs about being Black, and where they fall on various demographic and political measures.

From Black-ish to Blackness: An Analysis of Black Information Sources’ Influence on Black Identity Development

Prior research shows consumption of Black information affects the way people think. More specifically, it influences general racial group attitudes. However, the expectations about the amount of Black information and deeper understanding of its effect on racial identity development remain unclear. Using a unique survey data set, with large oversamples of Blacks, this article explores whether the amount of Black information consumed influences Black identity development. The findings show Black information sources positively affect racial identity development—creating a sense that race is a more important aspect of the individuals’ definitions of self (i.e., racial centrality). The flip side, however, is greater consumption of Black information decreases public regard, prompting Blacks to believe other groups have a more negative feeling toward them. Thus, Black media plays a dual function in racial identity development—both positive and negative.

The Significance of Race and Geography on Legislative Behavior: Exploring the Legislative Agenda in Post-Katrina Louisiana

Hurricane Katrina dramatically altered the political landscape in Louisiana, and a clear racial gap in public opinion formed regarding the governmental response to the storms. Using data from the 2005 and 2006 legislative sessions, the authors examine the changes in the legislative agenda in response to Hurricane Katrina with a focus on the role of race and district geography on these changes. They find an important influence for both district location and race on the post-Katrina agenda of disaster relief and Black-interest legislation. This article provides a look at what factors influence the introduction of a new issue to the policy agenda and highlights how a new issue can bring more attention to previously existing ones.

Race, Identity, and Candidate Support: A Test of Implicit Preference

Racial identity (in its various conceptions) has been an important explanatory variable in African-American politics. For example, with respect to policy preferences, Tate (1993) found a relationship between racial group identification and African Americans’ opinions on affirmative action; Kinder and Winter (2001) found a correlation between racial group closeness and African Americans’ support of social welfare programs; and White (2007) found that explicit and implicit racial verbal cues activate racial thinking about policy issues. Research has also shown a relationship between racial identity and other political orientations. Specifically, Tate (2003) found that “African American identification was significantly related to African American political interest and to voter participation in congressional elections; however, it was unrelated to political knowledge and to political efficacy” (142). Olsen (1970) and Verba and Nie (1972) found that African Americans with strong senses of racial identity or group consciousness participated at higher rates in politics. Dawson (2001) found that linked fate—believing that one’s fate is connected to that of the group—is a strong predictor of economic nationalism, support for African American feminist orientations and ideology, allowance for more women to become members of the clergy, and warmth for lesbians. Thus, Dawson (1994) concluded that Black identity continues to be stronger than identities based on class, gender, religion, or any other social characteristics.