In Quest of African American Political Woman

Abstract

African American women, political activists for their entire history on the American continent but long denied the right to vote and hold office, have resorted to nontraditional politics. This article explores the nature and extent of African American women's political participation, beginning with the slave era. As victims of racial and sexual discrimination, these women have been active in the African American liberation movement and the women's movement. Along the way they developed a rich array of innovative alternatives to the traditional political activities from which they were excluded. After the 1965 Voting Rights Act, nontraditional activities began to give way to more traditional ones. Currently, they are the prime users of the ballot, hold a higher percentage of their race's elective offices than do white women, and as officeholders exhibit higher levels of women's organization membership than do white women and are highly supportive of women's issues. African American women receive high praise for their performance as officeholders. Unlike their white counterparts, African American adults have not experienced a gender gap.