“In the final analysis”: on Nick Nelson's contribution to the study of black politics

Abstract

This essay analyzes Dr. William E. Nelson, Jr's contributions to the study of race and politics. His scholarship probed the following question: What difference has the election of this candidate or the adoption of this policy made for the Black community? Nelson emphasized the importance of political context for countering pluralist claims that fail to account for both the mobilization of bias and non-decision-making within democratic systems. In conceptualizing Black Politics, Nelson contends that the passage of policies such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were insufficient for achieving full political incorporation. Rather, any meaningful strategy for incorporation must rest on a dual commitment to electoral participation and group empowerment. Though Nelson's early work focused on the election of Black mayors, his intellectual trajectory provides a useful framework for understanding current critiques of elected officials like Barack Obama, while also outlining a path for future research on race in the USA and beyond.