Gaining Voice: Black Seat Share and Policy Representation in States
The Benjamin Center and the Department of Black Studies at SUNY New Paltz will welcome Christopher J. Clark, associate professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to deliver the annual Gary King Visiting Lecture in Applied Social Research.
Clark’s talk, titled “Gaining Voice: Black Seat Share and Policy Representation in States,” will take place on Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. in the Student Union Building Multi-Purpose Room. It is open to the public without charge.
This timely discussion, taking place as primary voters across the U.S. take to the polls, will make the case that black political involvement, political attitudes and public opinion largely hinge on the proportion of African Americans making up a state legislature – what Clark terms “black seat share” – as well as the degree to which that proportion reflects the demographic makeup of the state. He suggests that a critical mass of African American legislators will be needed to initiate the creation of black caucuses, which become an important institution for minority representation.
Benjamin Center, SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz NY 12561
845.257-2901