“If Black voters don’t show up at the polls, it’s because these campaigns have not invested in the Black community,” she said. “The results (in California) are going to mimic what’s going on nationally.”
‘It’s About Value’
Brandon Lamar, President of the Pasadena NAACP, draws a careful but important distinction — and it sharpens the indictment.
“I wouldn’t say Black voters are being ignored outright, but I do believe our priorities are being overlooked,” Lamar said. “There’s a difference. Campaigns may acknowledge the Black vote symbolically, but when you look at where resources are actually being invested, it often doesn’t reflect a real commitment to engaging our communities in meaningful ways.”
For Lamar, the issues are not abstract. In communities like Altadena and Pasadena — still recovering from devastating wildfires — equitable disaster recovery sits alongside housing, economic mobility, public safety, and education as urgent, daily concerns that candidates have largely failed to address directly.
“Candidates should be articulating specific plans that speak directly to these realities and showing how resources will follow those plans,” he said. “What candidates owe Black voters this cycle is simple but significant: intentional engagement, real investment, and accountability to our priorities.”
Lamar pointed to his community’s own record to make the stakes plain. The Pasadena NAACP chapter reports a 75 percent voter turnout rate among its membership.
“It’s not about visibility alone — it’s about value,” Lamar said. “And right now, many Black voters are still waiting to see that their priorities are being taken seriously. Campaigns owe us more than symbolic outreach. They owe us presence, partnership, and policy that reflects our lived experiences.”
‘Not An Afterthought’
Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, who represents the East Bay in Congress, put the stakes in stark terms.
“California is home to one of the largest Black populations in the country, and yet cycle after cycle, Democrats spend millions on everything but Black-owned media, Black-owned consultants, or Black-owned small businesses and partnerships,” Rep. Simon said. “Black Californians have been raising the alarm for decades, and we’ve made progress. But I hope we continue to increase how we politically organize, involve, and energize around Black communities so that we’re not an afterthought.”