Declining Like the U. S. Dollar, Does the Black Youth Vote Matter in ’08?

As a former NAACP Youth Director and Vice President of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, I have dedicated a great deal of my professional life to registering, educating and mobilizing the "black youth vote." Four years ago, you couldn't talk about the presidential election without having someone toss you a VOTE OR DIE t-shirt or tell you who his or her favorite artist was voting for. Four years later the political landscape has shifted and there is little media focus on the specific demographic of blacks 18 to 25 years old and the role they will or will not play in November.

Of course, most of us are tired of the RACE or GENDER questions that still, have yet, to evoke a sophisticated discussion on Race in America. However, even this dialogue, on the surface, has created no sustained discussion on the black youth vote. So does the black youth vote matter in 2008? No one can deny the work of organizations like the NAACP Youth and College Division and Black Youth Vote to engage this demo that is highly energized in a "Post Jena-Six," Obama "Yes We Can" environment.

I, however, would submit that the black youth vote is somewhat like the declining US dollar. In the face of a changing national racial environment and on the heels of two presidential cycles effected by mass voter disenfranchisement, there has been a considerable decline in the value of this demographics voting importance to the broader electorate. Very much like the dollar, much of its decline is an affect of several internal factors that contribute to currency value reduction. These factors include, but certainly are not limited to:

The black youth vote's value has been affected by similar internal factors. African American civic organizations have been unwilling, and in some case lacked the capacity, to maintain consistent messaging and engagement to ensure mobilization of young voters during non-presidential cycles. It wasn't just the process that played out the young black voter in 2004. It was also Hip-Hop. Many organizations sold the message that if Kerry won so would we. It is irresponsible to remove the focus from building a legitimate political base vs. getting one rich white guy elected. Also Citizen Change, The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, and even the National Hip-Hop Political Convention (all of which I was apart of) failed to add value to the youth vote after the '04 election. There were stacks of promises to continue the movement after the election, but no delivery. When the money stopped so did we. And where did that money come from? The organizations relied on a handful of rich, white donors from the left who could care less about the young black vote and simply assumed that if you mobilize young negroes they will vote democrat (well lets get to that later).

Within the black community there existed (and exists) the monies to have kept the movement going, but we didn't want to invest. And that is were we also diminishing our value, like the dollar. Candidates talk to, and more importantly listen, to people that write checks to campaigns. We pay to look good, but won't invest in the legislation that makes our future good, and will pay for a playstation3, but not pay to play the political game. The battle against foreign forces that are not really the enemy has been a symptom of the black community as it has engaged evolved social and political issues plaguing our community. The youth electorate in the African American community has been plagued by an antiquated strategy handed down from past generations that justifies the undying support of ONE of two parties. This has especially diminished the value of the vote when neither party effectively provides a legislative agenda representative of ANY demographic in the diverse African American political landscape.

Our "battle" is an internal one of developing our own political agenda that serves as the litmus for our support. Many ethic communities have understood the value of having presence in and around both parties to ensure representation on ALL the issues in their broad political agenda represents. The fight is not to make the D's or R's like us, but to have a clearly stated agenda that forces each to recognize our true position. Our value is increased when we define the issues verses them being handed to us by a political party (vis-a-vis Gay Marriage).

Finally, we have the social perception of the U.S. product value. I know friends that love the US, but will never buy a U.S. automobile. Disperse this thinking across the U.S. product spectrum (clothes, electronics, other goods and services) and you have to question what the REAL value of U.S. goods are when U.S. citizens won't buy them. Well, similarly what is the true value of the young black vote if it is spent comfortably on goods worth nothing? How often do we see or hear young voters asking for ANYTHING in return for their vote. The diminishing value of the black youth vote is most affected by the fact that young black voters don't value it themselves. It is not enough to go to the polls to support an issue or candidate. The young black voter must have stated and clear expectations for a return on that vote investment. We have seen too many local, state and federal elections drastically impacted by black communities that received nothing in return for their vote. What are we asking for is a reflection of what our vote is worth.

The 1960's Voting and Civil Rights Acts were worthy of our vote. The appointment of Thourgood Marshall to the High Court was worthy our vote. But we have supported countless candidates that claimed to love black people, but never delivered the legislative product our vote was supposed to purchase. Many hail Bill Clinton as the first black President, but don't associate him with the demoralizing federal sentencing laws passed under his watch. While Clinton supported and pushed policy that was favorable to some blacks, he never carried a BLACK AGENDA worthy of an uncritical vote and definitely not the title of 'first black' anything. If the young black vote wishes to increase its value it has to demand the service it paid for at the polls. We can no longer make a bigger fuss about not getting our fries with a $5.00 value meal than we do not receiving true legislative representation for something worth so much more…our vote. How can we encourage Obama, Clinton, and yes, even McCain to court our demographic when it is us who has diminished its value.

The truth is that the young black vote IS as valuable and necessary as it was decades ago when we put forth deliberate action to ensure electoral employment, fight the right battles, and demand a return on our investment.