Is the nation – from institutions to lawmakers — investing in the needs of Black women voters?
A new, nonpartisan poll by The Highland Project and brilliant corners Research and Strategies that surveyed 700 participants found the answer is “overwhelmingly no.”
The report focused on what researchers define as “the fulfillment gap,” whether Black women believe broader systems are delivering on what matters most to them. Black women aren’t confident much progress will be made 10 years from now.
“It’s all pointing to this notion that America has moved quite far away from the vision that Black women continue to name and build, and they’re translating that movement into urgency,” said Gabrielle Wyatt, founder of the The Highland Project. “They are truly feeling the pressures of changes in policy and government actions, and they feel that their voices, their sense of belonging, their dignity, urgently need to be protected.”
This is the sixth annual national poll of Black women conducted by The Highland Project and brilliant corners. Their mission is to more deeply understand voters’ dreams and aspirations around wealth and democracy — and limitations to access.
At least 92% of Black women are dissatisfied with the country’s direction and 51% are pessimistic about its future. Cornell Belcher, founder of brilliant corners, said that pessimism isn’t simply about “the price of eggs or gas.” The data shows it’s more nuanced than that, particularly as it relates to Black women’s concerns around voting rights and inequality.
“That’s not to say there’s no economic angst, because there is, but if you are simply focused on that part of it, you miss 90% of a broader conversation about where these women are, what they need, and what they’re demanding for a more joyful and purposeful life,” Belcher said.
Belcher, who previously worked on both of former President Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, points out that hope and optimism drove voter turnout during those elections. What’s motivating Black women this time is the need to protect and defend their communities. About 95% of respondents say they are concerned about the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s rollback of the Voting Rights Act earlier this year.
The Highland Project-brilliant corners poll follows one released this spring that focused on 700 Black women voters in Mississippi and how they defined success, joy, and what it takes to fix broken systems to address their concerns. The new survey mirrors the earlier findings: that mental health, financial security, and family are as important to a joyful life as solving the affordability crisis, Wyatt added.
“They’re quite pessimistic about the future of the country now, about the economy, and in fact, are sitting in the direct aftermath of its deterioration,” she said. “Given all of this, [Black women are] showing up at the polls and holding leaders accountable because here is what matters most to us. It reveals what must be protected in this moment in order to actually build the futures we’re all seeking.”
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