“[O]ur survey suggests that if Sanders—or whomever Democrats ultimately choose—wants to win over black voters, a message stressing economic justice is not the best option; he needs to appeal explicitly to race (italics added). This finding builds on emerging work showing that the perception of threat on the part of racial minorities can encourage political participation, as has been demonstrated in the Latino community. It also builds on our finding, published in a previous study, that holding negative opinions of Trump can be a mobilizing force for African American voters.

Why is a message emphasizing racism so effective, relative to the alternatives? Simply put, race is the principal identity that resonates with the black community (italics added). History makes clear that racism affects every aspect of African Americans’ lives, so much so that most members of the black community perceive that they share a common fate (italics added). This is not to say that class isn’t sometimes important, but when it comes to political engagement, racial identity is a more reliable predictor of black political behavior (italics added).” 

This passage from Politico, which discusses Bernie Sanders’ underwhelming performance with black voters during the Democrat presidential primaries, confirms several sad truisms that most Americans already know.