African-American candidates for President of the United States facts for kids
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African Americans have run for president of the United States from major political parties. The most well-known is U.S. Senator Barack Obama, who became president in 2008. He was the first African American to win a presidential election and serve as president. He was re-elected in 2012. Many other important candidates ran before him.
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Early Candidates
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was a famous writer and speaker. In 1888, he was invited to speak at the Republican Party's big meeting, called a national convention. During the voting for president, he received one vote. This meant he was technically a candidate, even though he wasn't expected to win. Back then, candidates were chosen by state representatives voting at these conventions. Many decisions happened in private talks. Douglass was not a serious contender for president in 1888. He had also received a vote for a smaller party's nomination in 1848.
George Edwin Taylor
In 1904, George Edwin Taylor was a leader in the National Negro Democratic League. At this time, many unfair laws, known as "Jim Crow" laws, were being made in the Southern states. These laws stopped most Black voters from casting their ballots and forced segregation. There was also a lot of violence against Black people.
In 1904, a new group called the National Negro Liberty Party asked Taylor to be their candidate for president. This party started in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1897. It aimed to help former slaves get pensions. Later, it also fought against unfair laws, violence, and other forms of discrimination. The party moved its main office to Chicago, Illinois, in 1904. This was during a time when many Black families were moving from the South to Northern cities.
The new party held its first national meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, in July 1904. They wanted to have candidates in states with many Black residents. Their goals included fighting against unfair voting laws, improving opportunities for Black people in the military, and ending violence. They first chose another candidate, but after he had problems, they asked Taylor to lead their campaign.
Taylor's campaign in 1904 was very difficult. The party struggled to find enough speakers or local candidates. No newspapers supported them. State laws made it hard for the party to list candidates on official election ballots. Taylor's name could not be added to any state ballot. The votes he received were not officially counted.
Important Candidates of the 20th Century
Channing E. Phillips
At the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Channing E. Phillips, a minister and civil rights leader, was nominated for president. He received 67.5 votes.
At the same meeting, Julian Bond was nominated for vice president. He was the first African American to be nominated for that role by a major party. However, Bond was too young to serve and withdrew his name.
Shirley Chisholm
In 1972, Shirley Chisholm, a U.S. Congresswoman from New York, ran for the Democratic Party nomination. She was of Barbadian-American heritage. She campaigned in 12 states and won 28 delegates. At the 1972 Democratic National Convention, she gained more support and ended with 152 delegates.
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson was a major candidate in the 1984 and 1988 presidential elections. He was the first major-party Black candidate to run nationwide primary campaigns and win individual states' primaries or caucuses. He ran as a Democrat. In 1984, he received about 3 million votes in the primaries. In 1988, he received about 7 million votes.
Alan Keyes
In 1992, Alan Keyes received a vote for the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. He was not actively campaigning for president at that time. He became the first African-American candidate to run in the Republican presidential primaries in 1996. However, he did not win any state's primary or caucus.
African American Candidates in the 21st Century
Barack Obama
Barack Obama was born to an American mother and an African father from Kenya. His mother, Ann Dunham, was mostly of English descent. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was from Kenya. His parents met and married in Hawai'i. They separated and divorced when he was a child.
Obama became a possible candidate for president after a powerful speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 as a Democrat. The idea of an African American becoming president became very real as the Democratic primary elections began in early 2008. Obama became a strong contender for the nomination. He was the first African American to win the nomination of a major party in a U.S. presidential election. As the Democratic Party's candidate, he won the general election on November 4, 2008. On January 20, 2009, he became the first African-American president of the United States. He was re-elected for a second term on November 6, 2012.
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris is a prominent figure in American politics.
Other Candidates
Alan Keyes ran for president again in 2000 and 2008.
In 2004, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton were candidates in the Democratic primaries. They were not successful in winning the nomination.
Herman Cain, a Republican, ran for president in 2012. He gained some attention but withdrew before any primaries were held.
Neurosurgeon Ben Carson ran for the Republican nomination in the 2016 election. He was popular for a while in late 2015 but withdrew after the first "Super Tuesday" primary elections. Carson received 857,039 votes in the Republican primaries.
In early 2019, U.S. senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker announced their campaigns for the 2020 Democratic nomination. Both withdrew from the race before any major voting began. Former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick also joined the race later.
On May 22, 2023, U.S. Senator Tim Scott announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election. He withdrew from the race before any nominating contests were held.
Impact of Campaigns
African-American presidential campaigns have had different outcomes, from winning the presidency to withdrawing early. However, all these candidates have made a political impact. They made sure their voices were heard in national discussions and gained attention from their political parties.
Shirley Chisholm helped open doors for both African American and female candidates. Her goal was to make the Democratic Party listen more to ordinary people. When she explained why she ran, Chisholm said she was "the candidate of the people of America." In the 1972 primary, Chisholm won over 430,000 votes in fourteen states and 28 delegates at the Democratic Convention. Her campaign inspired many women and African Americans to get involved in politics.
Jesse Jackson seemed to follow Chisholm's advice in his 1984 presidential campaign. He aimed to bring together a "Rainbow Coalition" of different groups, including African Americans, Hispanic people, the poor, the elderly, farmers, and women. This group challenged the conservative policies of President Ronald Reagan. Jackson finished third among ten candidates for the Democratic nomination, with over 3 million primary votes. He won primaries or caucuses in four states and Washington, D.C. Jackson's campaign helped register nearly 2 million new voters of all backgrounds. This expanded the Democratic Party's support. His campaign also inspired African American voters. About 12% of all Black voters participated for the first time. Jackson's campaign earned him a chance to speak at the 1984 Democratic Convention, which gave him a national platform to share his ideas. In his 1988 campaign, Jackson gained even more support, with 6.9 million primary votes. He won 9 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Sharpton and Moseley Braun followed Jackson's path when they ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. Moseley Braun had already made history as the only African American woman elected to the United States Senate. She became the most visible female candidate in the 2004 Democratic presidential race. She spoke about creating more opportunities and encouraged women to seek powerful positions. Moseley Braun said, "Now is the time for Democrats to renew hope that we will leave [the American Dream] for the next generation in even better shape than we found it. And a woman can lead the way." Even though Moseley Braun ended her campaign in January 2004, she spoke at the Democratic Convention in Boston. This gave her a national stage to advocate for equal rights.
Sharpton's 2004 campaign also focused on equal rights. He said he was running to "stand up for workers’ rights, stand up for a peace plan worldwide, stand up for the constitutional rights of every American." Like Moseley Braun, Sharpton's campaign allowed him to participate in early televised debates. He also earned a speaking slot at the 2004 Democratic Convention. This was the same year future president Barack Obama gained national attention for his convention speech.
On the Republican side, Keyes first ran for the nomination in 1996. He wanted his party to focus on social issues. Keyes received a lot of free media attention during this campaign. The number of primary votes Keyes received increased from his 1996 campaign (471,716) to his 2000 campaign (914,548). However, his vote total decreased in his 2008 primary run (58,977).
African American candidates run for president for various reasons. Some believe they can win. Others run to influence national discussions by supporting specific policy ideas. Some run for a mix of these reasons.
See also
- African-American heritage of presidents of the United States
- List of African-American United States Senate candidates
