Jesse Jackson’s Death Arrives at a Crucial Moment for Black Political Power

The Rev. Jesse Jackson’s death comes as Black voters are highly influential within the Democratic Party and there are more Black senators than ever, yet the future of Black representation in the House is uncertain. The Supreme Court is set to rule in the coming months on a case that will determine the fate of a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and during oral arguments the conservative-leaning court seemed skeptical of that provision.

Senator Raphael Warnock said, "We are witnessing right now in real time the kind of attack on voting rights that really does harken back to the darkest days of the civil rights struggle." Black voters overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party and have been decisive in Democratic presidential primaries: in 2008, 2016 and 2020, Southern states with primary electorates dominated by Black voters swung heavily toward the party’s eventual nominees.

United States, Southern states

jesse jackson, black voters, democratic party, voting rights, supreme court, raphael warnock, black representation, house seats, black senators, southern primaries