Explaining African American Support for Donald Trump

• In Event: 2020 and beyond: Examining Black and Latino Political Preferences

Abstract

Since the beginning of the current United States party system, African Americans have been the most loyal and consistent voters of the Democratic Party. The arrival of Donald Trump as the leader of the Republican Party came with a more radical stance within the party which does not favor minorities. However, Donald Trump did not see a decrease in African American support relative to past Republican Presidential candidates. This leads to the question of why these voters are not put off by the increased anti-minority rhetoric within the Republican Party. Using a mixed methods approach, this article explores African American support for Donald Trump and presents a new theory for the Black vote for the Republican Party. The argument put forth in this article is that differences in how Black people conceptualize Blackness as part of their identity can account for differences in vote choice.

Author

• Kofi Arhin, The University of Ottawa