Ensuring Civic Engagement
Inclusive civic engagement – at the ballot box and in community decision-making – ensures that the American democratic system uplifts us all. It helps create a foundation for the nation’s electorate and elected officials to comprehensively represent the full diversity of the population in terms of race, ethnicity, language, sexuality, gender identity, and other characteristics.
To realize the promise of a multi-racial democracy, protecting voting rights and ensuring civic engagement for communities of color is critical. The attacks on voting rights have worsened the systemic inequities that exist in our democracy, and we must endure all voices are heard to create a truly just world.
Disproportionate exclusion of voters of color from American democracy leads to persistent inequities
Voter registration and turnout remain low among communities of color
Voter registration and turnout remain low among communities of color – and this is especially true in Nevada, North Carolina, and Arizona. For example, in Arizona, BIPOC communities are 47% of the population but only make up 19% of the vote share. Similarly, in North Carolina, Black and Latino/Latina North Carolinians comprise 30% of the population but hold only 18% of the electorate. And in Nevada, Latino/Latina communities make up almost a third (30%) of the population but only 18% of the electorate and even fewer (13%) of participating voters.1
Without a multiracial democracy, racial inequities will persist
Our nation’s electorate and elected officials do not represent the full diversity of the population in terms of race, ethnicity, language, sexuality, gender identity, and other characteristics. As a result, the system is less effective at representing the needs of all Americans, and systemic inequities persist.
Communities of color continue to be actively disenfranchised
Communities of color have historically and systematically been excluded from the democratic system through voter suppression efforts that continue today, such as stringent ID requirements, reduced early voting, gerrymandering, and purging of voter rolls. These strategies disproportionately impact communities of color. When communities of color cannot vote, their needs are not met, reinforcing racial inequities in education, housing, health, and other areas. Moreover, Black and Brown organizers who have tried to fight these voter suppression efforts consistently have less access to funding, disaggregated data, and culturally responsive research and consulting needed to build power in their constituencies.
Our Approach
The Katz Amsterdam Foundation and Charitable Trust support the empowerment of communities of color by providing general operating support to organizations that are equipping voters with the knowledge, resources, and skills necessary to participate in democratic processes and influence decisions that affect lives every day.
Typical grantees are leading one or more of these activities:
- Community organizing to increase voter engagement within communities of color
- Advocating for improved election access
- Building capacity and coalition between civic engagement leaders and organizations working with communities of color
Katz Amsterdam focuses on three states where voter registration and turnout remain low, especially among communities of color: Nevada, North Carolina, and Arizona. We seek to narrow racial inequities in voter registration and participation in these states by building long-term, deep partnerships with organizations that are connecting with voters from communities of color.
1 Based on state voter file analysis in 2023