Political and Social Marginalization

• Voter Suppression: African American communities have historically faced and continue to face obstacles to voting, including voter ID laws, gerrymandering, and purging of voter rolls, which disenfranchise many African American voters.

• Representation: Underrepresentation of African Americans in political and leadership positions limits their influence on policies that affect their communities.

There is a gap in representation of African Americans in the U.S. government, while having improved over the years, it still does not proportionally reflect the African American population. U.S. Congress:

1. • House of Representatives: As of the 118th Congress (2023-2024), there are 58 African American members, making up about 13.3% of the House. This closely aligns with the African American population in the U.S., which is approximately 13.4%.

1. • Senate: There are 3 African American senators out of 100, representing 3% of the Senate.

1. • State Governments:  The representation of African Americans in state legislatures varies widely by state. Some states with significant African American populations have higher representation, while others have lower.

   • Local Governments:  At the municipal level, representation also varies. Some major cities with large African American populations, such as Atlanta, Detroit, and Washington D.C., have African American mayors and city council members.

   • Executive Branch:

-Cabinet: As of the Biden administration, several African Americans hold key Cabinet positions, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge.

-Vice President: Kamala Harris, elected in 2020, is the first African American (and first female and Asian American) Vice President of the United States.