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Race and the American Voter

On Thursday, December 11, the Harris School's Program on Political Institutions hosted a conference on race and voting in 2008 and beyond. Participants from leading academic institutions around the country presented new research and discussed the role of President-Elect Barack Obama's election in the politics of race. Central to the conversation was what changed, if anything, with Obama's victory.

The first two panels of the day examined issues related to race, public opinion and polling, and minority access and mobilization. Speakers included experts from Northwestern University, Cornell University, Harvard University, and the University of Michigan.

During the third and final session, five panelists debated whether the election of the country's first African American president has ushered in an era of "post-racial" politics. Said Taeku Lee, of the University of California at Berkeley, "Whenever I heard someone describing Obama as a post-racial candidate, I bristled. What is 'post-racial' being cast against?"

For Lee, a "post-racial" candidate could be compared against a "non-racial" one in which race would never be referenced. Apart from very minor roles in local elections, he argued, no one could fit this definition. Alternatively, "racial" or "racialized" candidates describe candidates of particular ethnic backgrounds who mobilize and appeal to their respective ethnic group to get them elected.

The panelists agreed that what people mean when they describe Obama as a "post-racial" candidate is that he appeals to large segments of white voters while being non-white. However, Cathy Cohen, of the University of Chicago, pointed out that initially black voters were hesitant to embrace Obama. "His legitimacy was brought about by white voters in Iowa and New Hampshire" who voted for him in the primaries.

Cohen cautioned against rushing to claim our society is post-racial, reminding that the great benchmarks of the 1960s for racial equality were followed by great acts of violence and setbacks for the black community in the 1970s and 1980s.

Eric Oliver, also of the University of Chicago, predicted that there could be similar racial tensions in the future. Despite that an African American has reached the highest office in the country, "Nearly 6 in 10 blacks and 4 in 10 Latinos would have to move out of their neighborhoods to achieve any sort of integration into American society. [Because of this ethnic segregation] ethnic politics get mobilized in local politics. I can't see it going away anytime soon."

Blogger Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight.com saw immigration as a possible next racial flashpoint, especially if the economy stays weak. "We'll have a lot of time to think about who's to blame," and be too willing to point fingers at immigrants, he said.

Racial stereotypes play a role when particular ethnic groups get blamed. Professor Arthur Lupia from the University of Michigan pointed out that stereotypes are one issue of which social scientists do have a good grasp. But, he continued, we do not have good insight into how stereotypes change-and that is a dangerous thing. "If we misunderstand how tightly people hold to stereotypes, then we really don't have a good understanding of what racism means."

The impact of someone like Obama on racial stereotypes could be that he will be a vehicle for people to re-think their view of race. Or, Lupia and Cohen agreed, he could become his own, unique subtype, reinforcing rather than dismantling negative aspects of the black stereotype.

The panel was moderated by Jamila Celestine-Michener, a PhD candidate in the University's Political Science Department. "What I found most interesting was that among such a varied group of scholars, there was a common insistence on critically interrogating popular formulations of race that have emerged since the candidacy of Obama," said Celestine-Michener. "Panelists tacitly highlighted the extent to which Obama's election, rather than closing the book on race in America, is simply the beginning of a new chapter."

Summing up the feeling of the panelists, Cohen attributed a unique sense of hope to Obama. While his administration is not expected to solve all of the racial inequalities in the country, he does represent a distinctive possibility to close some of the gaps. Concluding the discussion, she remarked, "Maybe [Obama represents] a post-racial hope, and not a post-racial society."

Listen to the Discussion Session.