An Introduction to African American Politics

This new text examines the relationship of African Americans to the American political system through both historical and contemporary analytical lenses. Gillespie and Nunnally examine the relationships of African Americans over time to American political institutions such as the presidency, Congress, the judiciary, political parties, media, and interest groups, accounting for the significance that race as a social construct has had on African Americans’ political struggle for full citizenship, social and political inclusion, socioeconomic mobility and status, and equality in American democracy.

This innovative text accounts for the contemporary experiences of African Americans by analyzing national socioeconomic data, public policies, and public opinion to assess the current conditions by which African Americans live, experience, and perceive their sociopolitical circumstances. Given the historical and contemporary influences that race has had on African Americans’ experiences, this text will describe nuances that, heretofore, have received minimal attention in previous texts on African American politics: diasporic experiences among black ethnic groups (West Indians and Africans), intersectional experiences (gender, class, and age), intergroup and multi-racial dynamics, as well as politics at the state and local level.