A Strategist Knocked on Doors in Fla. and Georgia. Here’s What Black Voters Want Democrats to Know.
This election cycle, organizers have knocked on the doors of millions of Americans to hear their concerns and persuade them to vote for their party’s candidates. I laced up my shoes and hit the streets in my home state of Georgia, as well as in Florida, Ohio, and Indiana, to support Democrats in tight races. I rarely canvassed alone. In Port St. Lucie, Florida, I met local organizers like Deb and Lauren, who have been doing the Lord’s work with an ounce of the Lord’s resources. And in Indiana and Georgia, my mom stepped out of her comfort zone and into the arena, setting aside her fear of poorly restrained dogs, because she knows just how high the stakes are for this election.
Black voters overwhelmingly acknowledge this reality, and talking to Black voters this cycle reminded me of just how seriously we take our vote, that we approach voting as a form of communion, and that a knock on the door can catalyze the next great campaign for office.
I love talking to all voters, but I love talking to my people most of all. Black voters have historically been the backbone of the party, but we’re often overlooked in polls and focus groups. The national media creates narratives about “Black voters” without always appreciating the nuances that exist within our community. Far from being a monolith, the Black voting bloc must be dissected along a multitude of dimensions. Young Black voters, older Black voters, Southern Black voters, church-going Black voters, and Black immigrant voters all have different concerns, and I got to hear about those concerns while canvassing this cycle.
In Florida, I met a Black man around my age, whose number-one issue was education. As Deb and I spoke with him, he admitted he knew very little about candidates like Angie Nixon, a Black woman who secured the Democratic nomination for US Senate. He consumed our information voraciously but said that he had to do his research before casting his ballot. While those conversations in the moment can be frustrating (What do you mean you have to do your research?! Do you see what the other side is doing?!), they demonstrate a level of democratic discipline among younger Black voters in particular, who no longer feel blindly loyal to the Democratic Party. These folks recognize that their vote gives them power, and of course, with great power comes great responsibility – responsibility to do your research and to ultimately cast your ballot for the candidate who’ll best advance your interests. It’s on insiders like me to make the case for why, in most instances, those candidates have a D next to their name.
A few streets over from that voter, we pulled up to another home, and upon opening the car doors, were immediately drawn up the driveway by the sweet sounds of Latin music. There was no mistaking I was in Florida! After walking up the driveway, we came across three middle-aged men – two Hispanic, one Black/Afro-Latino – sitting by the entrance of the garage, sipping beers and having a good time. Of all the things they could have been doing – watching football, or talking about their families – imagine my surprise when I discovered they were discussing…their sample ballots! Fifteen minutes, twenty questions, and three politely declined beers later, we left them to do the work of democracy. I wish everyone could see that it’s not just college students or white liberals who host ballot parties. Black and brown men also come together, crack open some cold ones, and bust out their ballots. Like so many Black voters, these men understand the right to vote is sacred – so sacred that they gather in communion to exercise it. So sacred that pastors at churches all across the country, including mine back home in Georgia, are coordinating rides to make sure all of God’s souls make it to the polls.
One of our final stops was at the home of a Black woman, who for years has educated the children of Port St. Lucie. We quickly learned that she did not need us to tell her about the stakes of the upcoming election. Not only had she been driving around to put up yard signs for local school board candidates, but she had been kicking around the possibility of running for office herself one day. When we knocked on her door, she was literally in the other room researching how to do it! We held our first campaign strategy meeting standing right there in the foyer of her house, and I promised her I’d fly back to Port St. Lucie to knock on doors for her when she decides to take the plunge. Our interaction reminded me of how much untapped political potential is lying dormant within so many Black folks, especially teachers, who pour their all into helping the next generation realize their academic potential. Sometimes, all they need is a knock at the door.
This Election Day, I feel inspired by the Black folks I met over the past few weeks in so many different corners of the country. Even after the midterms are over, I encourage my fellow Democrats to keep knocking on the doors of their neighbors. Let’s make sure “fired up, ready to go” becomes our everyday reality, not just a state of being we aspire to every other year.
Gevin Reynolds is a Democratic strategist. He served as associate director of speechwriting to Vice President Kamala Harris.
