Let’s talk about how the blackest state in the country has been under white Republican rule for so many years.(1/x)
First some context: Mississippi is 37% black - the largest proportion of black residents of any US state. Given that black voters tend to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, why do Republicans comfortably win so many statewide elections in MS? (2/x) 
Like other Southern states, white Mississippians vote solidly Republican. In 2018, white Mississippi voters voted Republican at roughly the same rate black voters voted Democrat. And since whites are 58% of MS population, Republicans usually win. The *why* is deeper...
Why are white voters in MS so Republican? Part of it is racism and legacy of slavery. Research shows whites in counties with more slavery in 1860 are more likely to vote Republican and have racist beliefs today. In 1860, 55% of MS population was enslaved. mattblackwell.org/files/papers/s…
The racism their ancestors exhibited under slavery is passed down through generations structuring political beliefs, partisanship, religion and culture of those communities today. So it’s no coincidence so many white voters in the South support the racism of today’s GOP.
Now there’s a runoff election for Senate in MS. And the Republican candidate is referencing lynchings in her campaign against a black Democratic opponent. Can he defeat her in the runoff, despite the white majority being heavily Republican? Yes, because...
Espy and the Democrats can win in MS if they turn black voters out at really, really high rates. There are more then 1 million eligible black voters in MS. On 11/6 only 900,000 people turned out total for all candidates. So if vast majority of black voters show up, Espy will win.
