African American Chamber urges black voters to keep an open mind, consider both parties
May 2, 2015
“It’s no secret that African Americans almost always vote Democratic. As a consequence, our votes are often taken for granted by both major parties. And when our votes are taken for granted, our issues are taken for granted,” said chamber president Stephen Gilchrist.
“Every citizen needs to know the perspective and plan of our political candidates and incumbents regarding addressing the issues and desires of our community. As responsible voters, we should use this knowledge to make informed choices that best support our community’s vision of growth and sustainability. Our choices may reflect leadership representation across lines of political affiliation. When our choices are informed, we are best equipped to hold our leaders accountable to the privilege of our civic support,” said chamber board member Dr. Regina E. Wragg.
“In a State where Black people make up over 30 percent of the population, African Americans are in a unique position to have our voices heard and our issues addressed,” Gilchrist said. “The best way to have our issues addressed is to let everyone know we’re paying attention and to use our voting power in a way that encourages the candidates to truly compete for our support.”
“We can no longer give either party a license to take our issues for granted. We hope black voters will keep an open mind and consider both parties. Yes, including even voting in the Republican Presidential Primary,” Gilchrist said.
The nonpartisan chamber plans to develop an issue questionnaire for the candidates and publish their answers in a special voter guide to be distributed to African American voters prior to the primaries.
The S.C. African American Chamber of Commerce
The S.C. African American Chamber of Commerce was born in 2011, when a group of African American business people and community leaders came together to find ways to help create an environment in which black-owned businesses, leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs can succeed. Its aims is to provide a support system for black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as advocacy of policies related to the African American Business Community. The Chamber has a membership of 1750 members statewide.
