Rich past, underestimated power: Black working class.

The 2024 presidential election is underway, and the focus is once again on the white working class. However, there is little attention paid to the Black working class and their experiences of political and economic turmoil. In her book, “Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class,” Blair Kelley explores the historical importance of Black workers and their contributions to the labor force. She highlights the solidarity between poor white workers and rich white capitalists, as well as the critical role of Black workers in the fight for civil rights. Kelley argues that Black workers played a significant role in Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, particularly in flipping Georgia amidst a pandemic and voter suppression. Kelley emphasizes the importance of recognizing and prioritizing the political priorities of the Black working class. She also discusses the role of Black churches in historical and contemporary working-class organization. Kelley believes that Black churches can still be radical spaces, despite the influence of the prosperity gospel. She also acknowledges that the roots of the white working class can be traced back to slavery and the system that kept them poorer than they should have been. Kelley concludes by emphasizing the need to understand and address the political priorities of the Black working class, as their support and recognition were instrumental in Biden’s victory.

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