The (Not So) Angry Black Woman: How Emotions Influence Political Participation of Black Women

Abstract The political participation of Black women has important consequences for electoral outcomes in the US, yet little is known about whether and how affect (both negative and positive) influences this group’s engagement in American politics. Despite the prevalent stereotype that Black women are “angry,” scholarly exploration of the effects of the emotions of these women is rare. In this paper, we highlight a gap in theories that center on Black women and argue that survey question wording about affect may impact how Black women express positive or negative emotions in relation to their political behavior. Using 2016 and 2020 CMPS data, we find support for our expectations. This project highlights the importance of group-specific, intersectional theories and the potential limitations to our understanding of how affect influences political participation.