With the election of Barack Obama, our first African American president, a high voter turnout was seen from the black population. People of color and women want and need to have their voices heard and be represented in politics. People want to feel that the government listens to their needs and responds to them. This isn’t about party affiliation, this is about a more representative and responsive government in tune with the needs of the populace. Presidential candidates have increasingly sought to include a woman or person of color as their vice presidential candidate or at the top of the ticket.
While progress may be slow, the march towards change is ongoing. As Dr. Martin Luther King elucidated in his “I Have A Dream” speech, women and people of color have been seeking equality since the early foundations of our democratic republic. It has been a little over 100 years since women got the right to vote and 59 years since the 1965 Voting Rights Act which gave people of color the right to vote.
When choosing to caucus for Barack Obama in Texas, finding the message of hope and change motivational and desiring to envision a more diverse representative government as an aspirational future that is also representative of mixed-race youth in America. “Yes we can,” was his message and that was the change seen unfolding before our eyes.
The election of Barack Obama for many people of color or of mixed race heritage is aspirational, and as a parent of mixed race children, many similar parents are thankful to have an example that when they tell their kids they can do anything including being the president of the USA, that Barack represents that. This is a very powerful aspirational message.
However, a strong societal backlash was seen from that change since 2016 and again in 2020 from those who fear what that may mean, and the nation has been stuck in an existential crisis as a nation. At the election of Barack Obama, it felt that the U.S. could have a 10-to-15-year cycle where the old guard would push back, while the nation pushes toward a more diverse and inclusive government.
Immediately afterward the backlash began with the red wave in 2010. This culture war, as some have called it, was a big impetus behind the birther movement and the Q Anon movement that helped fulfill the election of Donald J Trump. And the backlash of this change with the banning of books, anti-LGBT legislation, and the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
Even though it’s currently a challenging time, once the nation gets through this phase, the changes seen will set in and there will be a course correction as we the people continue to progress toward a more diverse society. The backlash was to be expected. At the end of the day, it’s hopeful that over time, as America grapples with its identity, it will continue the march toward progress.
Diversity in politics is letting children of color know they can aim for the highest position in the land if they want to. In our current election cycle, it’s again personal and aspirational and deeply emotional to be able to tell little boys and girls like who have diverse racial heritage that someone of a similar racial makeup as them can run for president. Parents being able to tell their kids that they can do anything they want in life and having examples to show them is very meaningful to many Americans.
People try to reduce the message of diversity and inclusion in political candidates as identity politics. For those who want to mitigate the necessity of a more diverse government that is representative of the culture and traditions of the people of the United States. When they do this it is a form of dog whistle. It isn’t simply about voting for someone because they are female or a non-white male candidate, it’s about having a more diverse dialogue and a more representative government that is more attuned to the needs of a diverse population.
When people can see themselves represented in the government, it can lead to a more fair and balanced society. A more diverse government is better equipped to address the broad needs of society, offering a broader range of perspectives on issues that may include education, judicial reform, healthcare, housing, and individual rights other topics that are important to the average Joe.
Elected officials who come from diverse cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds offer more inclusive policy approaches that recognize the needs of more people addressing the needs of minority groups more efficiently. A more diverse and inclusive government can lead to increased trust, better policy-making, better dialogue, and less bias
A government that represents the people and is more inclusive is going to be more responsive to the needs of the populace. For people of color and women, who have only recently received the right to vote, seeing a government that not only reflects their diversity but addresses gender disparities helps them see that they can strive to do anything.
In the 118th Congress, only 27% of the representatives in the House and 28% of the Senators are women. In contrast in the US Population women make up 50.8% of the population. Their representation in Congress is significantly lower than in the general population.
People of Color constitute 25% of the members in the House and a mere 13% in the Senate. By comparison, People of Color makeup 42.4% of the general population. This means that the representation of women and people of color is still lagging behind the country.
The Supreme Court has only three people of color and four of the nine judges are women, which is still lower than their national averages. There is no Asian or Native American representation on the court. The majority of congress members identify as Christian. Other faiths such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are still underrepresented minorities in Congress.
As far as the current resident in the white house, number 46, the vice president is a woman and a person of color, more than 50% of the president’s advisors are women, and more than 38% are people of color which is much closer in representation to the national average of the general US population.
Diversity in the leadership of government fosters an environment where collaboration to face the various challenges of building a society, can lead to a more fair and representative government. This can lead to a society that feels more united and this can lead to the government engaging with the full spectrum of American society, not just the rich elite white males who have generally consolidated power for themselves.
Diversity in politics can lead to a more just, fair and free society. It represents the big and inclusive tent representing more Americans. Increased diversity may lead to more innovation, better social cohesion, fewer divisions, accountability, and greater global competitiveness.
This isn’t an article about whose politics are right or wrong and this isn’t a plea to vote for any specific candidate. This is just to make you consider that a more culturally, ethnically, and gender-representative government will be more responsive to the needs of a diverse population regardless of party affiliation. Both parties should seek to represent a large tent and include more of the general population.
In this age of a very divided segmented society that is hyper-partisan, a focus on diversity and inclusion in both parties can be a catalyst for a more balanced political dialogue. While it won’t solve all the challenges of a divided country and government, it can be a way to move towards a more balanced beneficial dialogue on policies that are responsive to the needs and concerns of people and can be a tool to heal the fractures in our bipolar media and the information silos of social media algorithms. The struggle for a free and equal government that is more diverse and representative is ongoing.
