Black Political Underrepresentation in Majority Black Places

Unlike the areas of employment, education, and housing, black progress in the area of politics has been clear and consistent. Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which eliminated legal barriers to voting and authorized federal examiners to register persons denied the right to vote by local officials, several million blacks have registered and voted (Campbell and Feagin, 1975: 122). The gains were made early in the cities but later in the small towns and rural areas, where registration was often made the more difficult by uncoop-erative local officials (Brunn, 1974: 82). That blacks can have an impact on decisions rendered and problems solved has led many local and statewide groups to engage in massive voter registration drives and to encourage blacks to run for elective office (Brunn,1974: 81). There is little question that the higher levels of registration and voting made possible by the act have resulted in a sizable increase in the