Young Black voters in Houston study local races, resist party loyalty

Who's involved

• Evan Robinson · Texas Southern University student and vice president of the NAACP's TSU unit^[1]
• Arielle Price · Texas Southern University student and leader of the campus NAACP chapter^[1]
• Corey Hawkins · Co-chair of public policy for the Houston Metropolitan Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women^[1]
• Dr. Annie Johnson Benifield · Retired political science professor, first African American woman to lead the League of Women Voters of Houston, founder of the Houston Voting Initiative^[1]
• Pam Gaskin · Voter from Galveston County^[2]

The facts

1. Evan Robinson cast his first ballot in the 2024 presidential election at Texas Southern University, where poll workers rang a bell to celebrate.^[1]
2. A Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center survey of 500 Black Texas voters found that 77% agreed the Democratic Party in Texas takes Black voters for granted; in metro Houston, 80% agreed.^[1]
3. Early voting for the November 3, 2026 midterm election ran from October 19-30, 2026.^[1]
4. Arielle Price's concerns include education funding cuts that threaten scholarships and grants many students need.^[1]
5. The Houston Voting Initiative, founded by Dr. Annie Johnson Benifield, knocked on 2,000 doors of voters ages 18 to 35 during this election cycle.^[1]

Who said what

• Evan Robinson Most policies he supports lean Democratic, but he calls himself an Independent because choosing sides treats politics like sports and makes people support their team no matter what.^[1]
• Evan Robinson School board and city council races, which shape daily life through policy, may affect younger voters more than a presidential race.^[1]
• Evan Robinson His concerns include the cost of living and efforts to remove books and limit how Black history is taught in schools; a generation that doesn't understand slavery is bound to repeat it.^[1]
• Arielle Price She hears that candidates show up right before voting time, and she would trust a candidate more if they showed up earlier than just the week of elections.^[1]
• Corey Hawkins Black voters have long had to pick the lesser of two evils, and both parties should focus on rising costs from groceries, gas, energy bills, and Harris County property taxes.^[1]
• Dr. Annie Johnson Benifield African Americans cannot be single-issue voters because so many things affect their lives in different ways.^[1]