Deracialization in Black Politics
There is currently a debate going on regarding the significance of deracialization as an ongoing development in American politics. The term "deracialization," when applied to American electoral politics, refers to the conduction of a political campaign by a black candidate in which racial issues and themes are minimized, if not avoided completely (Perry 1).This is done to increase white electoral support, and the candidate is usually running for a position in adistrict that has a white majority. Although deracialization has existed in the black political scene for a longer time,this concept was particularly important to the 1989elections in which nine African-American candidates wereelected or reelected to public office (Perry 1).This election was not only important before of thenumber of African-Americans who were elected, but alsobecause many of these positions represented the first timethat an African-American had been elected to that particularposition. Four of these nine successful candidates conductedBarone also points out that 1994 was an excellentelection year for black candidates. New African-American
The fact that somany campaigns could concentrate on issues that have commonappeal to black and white voters resulting in the electionof more African-American candidates is particularlyencouraging in that this expands the representation of blackAmericans within the political system. Perry feels that this sort of explanation in regards toblack politics results in an overly defensive posture andconception of racial identity and experience. Also inherentin this explanation is the idea that the interests of blacksand whites are mutually exclusive (128). Douglas Wilder in the 1989Virginia gubernatorial election (Perry 3). More and more,candidates are calling for solutions which, while addressingblack issues, are deracializing in their conceptualization. African-Americans elected from majorityblack districts will continue to embrace issues with racialthemes and make these the foundations of their campaigns. The Wilder and Moseley-Braun elections show that blackscan win important positions in statewide elections;Dinkins' elections shows that this is also true of a largemetropolis; and Wilder's and Carter's elections show thatderacialization is even capable of working in the south. Daniels' electiondemonstrates that black candidates running on a progressiveset of issues-including racially progressive issues-can winelections to public office in majority white districts andjurisdictions" (Perry 195). When two black politiciansare competing for the same position from a majority blackdistrict, does a concentration on how each approaches racialissues constitute a less mature system then any other? Itseems evident that each election should be judged andanalyzed within the context of the particular set ofcircumstances which constitute the electorate at thatparticular moment. Considering the prominence of deracialization as acampaign strategy gives rise to the question of exactly whatthis means in the overall context of black politics. Perry feels that rather then "assuming that recentAfrican-American electoral victories have resulted fromcentrist, establishment politics and conservative appeals towhite voters-as opposed to progressive politics, grassrootsorganizing, and appeals to black pride-political scientistsshould analyze each election in its own particular context"(p. Therefore, it is quite likely that the truest statementregarding the maturation process of deracialization is tostate that it is in the process of maturing, because ifthere is one thing that seems certain about politics, it isthat this system will continue to change and adapt to newneeds of new voters and new circumstances withderacialization adapting at the same time. Thewhole idea behind deracialization is that if a blackcandidate runs a campaign based on universal appeals and aprogressive agenda, there are enough fair-minded whitevoters who will support such a candidate based upon thissort of campaign. Perry states, "Reagan'sbrand of conservatism included an unstated desire thatAfrican-Americans should soften their emphatic push for fullincorporation into the mainstream of American politics"(194).
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Acceptance Essays
