ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the history of blacks' relationship with the Democratic party from the New Deal era to the emergence of Jesse Jackson as a presidential contender in 1984. It assesses the impact of Jackson's candidacies on black loyalty to the Democratic party and-on black turnout in the 1984 and 1988 presidential elections. The chapter discusses the implications of a third Jackson bid for the Democratic party's nomination and the extent of blacks' support for the party in 1992 and beyond. As more blacks became Democrats, their activism also helped to transform the Democratic party from a racially conservative to a racially liberal one. Although Jackson's 1984 candidacy played a significant part in promoting the growth of black political activism, that factor alone cannot account for the new power that blacks possess within the Democratic party. While many believe that Jackson's candidacy led to white flight from the Democratic party, its impact on the black electorate is less clear.
