The results of the 1,862 African American women surveyed indicated to Vanessa DeLuca, editor-in-chief of ESSENCE, that Black women are taking an active interest in the 2016 election and that they plan to vote for a candidate who will address issues that can improve their quality of life. “We anticipate that Black women will continue to have strong voter turnout numbers and perhaps lead the nation as they have done in the last two Presidential elections,” she said.
“Top issues for Black women revolve around money and basic needs,” said Melanie Campbell, convener of the BWR and president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. She noted that the results of the poll indicated that affordable healthcare, livable wage jobs and college affordability are the three most important issues for women of all ages and political affiliation.
Campbell said that the indication of affordable healthcare being a major concern aligns with their 2015 State of Black Women Report findings that among states with African American populations exceeding 20 percent, few offer adequate health insurance coverage for Black women.
The poll identified other key issues to include quality public education, criminal justice reform, policing reform, the right to reproductive choices, expanding voter rights, earned sick time, paid family leave, entrepreneurship opportunities and immigration reform.
The Power of the Sister Vote Poll participants were women nationally that identified themselves as registered voters or has intentions to register and view voting as a responsibility. Of the respondents, 78 percent identified the democrats as representing their interest, 18 percent identified with no party, one percent republican and one percent suggested that libertarians represent their interest. Results of the poll signified that 88 percent of the respondents would vote for President Barack Obama in 2016 if they could.
The poll pointed out that African American millennials, people ages 18 to 34, appear to be trending away from identifying with political parties. Their interests are in presidential candidates that commit to improving law enforcement and community relations, reducing taxes for low and middle income people, and increasing the minimum wage to at least $15.00 an hour.
Other results indicated that millennials, which consisted of 14 percent of the respondents, cited college affordability, the quality of public education and criminal justice reform as highly important.
Eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, expanding voting rights protections, nominating a Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, and eliminating high infant and maternal mortality rate are the reasons poll respondents identified that they would vote for a presidential candidate.
ESSENCE and the BWR announced its partnership and the launching of the Power of the Sister Vote poll, which is aimed at more than 10,000 women, in August during the ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans.
In addition to the Power of the Sister Vote survey, the partnership includes ESSENCE’s participation in the Black Women Roundtable’s Healthy, Wealthy and Wise Empowerment Tour that addresses income inequality, health justice, criminal justice and retirement security. The 2015 tour provided women across the country with tools and resources on economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, holistic health, civic engagement and leadership development. The multi-city event is led by the NCBCP state-based affiliates, as well as the BWR networks and partners in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
The Pittsburgh affiliate, Sisters Saving Ourselves Now, headed by Rev. Dr. Judith L. Moore, held their event in August. The theme of the fourth annual Black Family Summit was “Preserving and Enhancing the Black Family.” The “No More” unity prayer, a time when churches, organizations and individuals simultaneously across Allegheny County prayed for peace, was initiated.
For 45 years, ESSENCE, which has a brand reach of 13.4 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information and specific solutions relating to every area of African American women’s lives. The publication is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African American women; generating brand extensions such as the ESSENCE Festival, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music, Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series, the ESSENCE Book Club, ESSENCE.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). ESSENCE Communications Inc. is the number one media company dedicated to African American women, with a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events and online.
The BWR is the women and girls empowerment arm of the NCBCP. It promotes health and wellness, economic security & prosperity, quality public education and global empowerment. BWR established its Intergenerational Policy Network in 2008, which is comprised of a diverse group of Black women civic leaders representing the issues and concerns of millions of Black people who live across the United States and around the world.
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