Democrats Look Beyond Churches to Mobilize Black Voters

Democrats have long counted on Black churches to bring “souls to the polls.” Churches these days may be less reliable.

Kamala Harris speaking at Triumph Church in Southfield, MI in 2020.
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaks at Triumph Church. Carlos Osorio/AP

Democrats are counting on Black voters to, once again, be a critical part of their winning coalition. And, once again, they’re relying on Black churches to be the driving force to get “souls to the polls.”

The problem is that the type of Black voters Democrats need to win — young Black voters — aren’t flocking to churches in the same way that their elders did in their youth.

Data from the American Enterprise Institute reported that more than a third of Gen Z identified as religiously unaffiliated in 2021.