On Feb. 29, South Carolina voters head to the polls to vote in the state’s primary election. In presidential races, candidates often look to the Palmetto State as an indicator of how strong their support among Black voters ranks nationally. It’s an important demographic in a key state. But often, Black voters are clumped into one monolithic group by candidates and the media without an accurate representation of the many perspectives within the community.
For example, when 22-year-old Benedict College student Faith Dupree goes to the ballot box, her most pressing concerns are the Black maternity mortality crisis and voter suppression. But 18-year-old Mykel King, a first-time voter and student at the same college, is most concerned about prison reform, climate change and student loan debt. Sheila Albergottie, a 64-year-old educator originally from St. Louis, has child care, health care and the student loan debt crisis on the top of her mind. These three Columbia residents are a small sample of Black voters, and they show how Black communities can have backgrounds, beliefs and political values that differ and often overlap.
Ahead of the South Carolina primary, HuffPost spoke to dozens of Black residents of Columbia to explore what it means to be a Black voter today |
