Speaking Truth to Power: Black Democratic Responsiveness and the Efficacy of Minority Protest Restricted; Files Only
Calhoun, Shea (Spring 2024)
Abstract
As Black political power grows, questions of representation and responsiveness in a racialized climate of Black protest surfaced. Despite broad public support for the Black Lives Matter Movement, no substantive federal policy was passed to address police brutality. How did Black leaders engage in the movement? This paper argues that Black politicians engage in a balancing act influenced by generational attributes, district composition, and leadership style. Whether a Black politician chooses to respond is dependent upon how they weigh Black protest; if Black insurgency tips the scales. Through an analysis of social media data, I observe that a politician’s generational, ideological, and electoral background serve as significant determinants in their propensity to invoke race. Black lawmakers follow public discourse and saliency, signaling symbolic responsiveness to Black interests. This likely indicates that Black lawmakers continue to use race intentionally, further demonstrating the shift in deracialization. This likely indicates the intentional use of race by Black legislators, further underscoring the evolving landscape of deracialization. These findings underscore the importance of considering generational attributes, leadership style, and ideological leanings when examining Black responsiveness to movements like Black Lives Matter.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: Literature and Theory 5
Introduction 5
Social Movements 5
Strategic Formation 5
Roadblocks to Reform 6
Democratic Responsiveness 7
Black Protest 8
Black Democratic Responsiveness 9
Free South Africa Movement 9
Generation 11
District Composition 12
Election year/seniority 13
Style 14
Black Lives Matter Movement 16
Generation 17
District Composition 18
Election Year/ Seniority 18
Style 19
Black Leadership: A Balancing Act 20
Theoretical Framework 20
Conclusion 23
Chapter 2: Social Media 24
Introduction 24
Social Media Activism 25
Purpose of Social Media for Politicians 26
Strategies of Communication 26
Racial Distancing & Situational Deracialization 28
Position-taking 29
Virtue-signaling 30
Representation and Responsiveness 31
“How We Speak Is How We Govern” 31
Black Responses to Social Movement on Twitter 32
Variation in Social Media Usage 33
Gender 33
Generation 34
Electoral year 34
Ideology 35
District Demographics 35
Theory and Hypotheses 36
Data and Methods 39
Variables of Interest 40
Methodology 44
H1 & H2 44
H3-H5 45
Results 45
Hypotheses 1 & 2: Changes in Mentions of Race Over Time 45
Hypothesis 3,4, & 5 51
Discussion 52
Limitations 54
Chapter 3: Future Horizons 56
Next Horizon: Responsiveness Through Floor Speeches 57
Introduction 57
Purpose of Floor Speeches 58
Black Congressional Rhetoric 60
Style 61
Generation 62
Gender 62
Social Movement Response 62
Theory and Hypotheses 63
Further Research 66
References 68
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File download under embargo until 24 May 2026 | 2024-04-15 10:33:52 -0400 | File download under embargo until 24 May 2026 |
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