Study: Black turnout slumped in 2016
Source: Politico
The turnout rate rose among white voters in the 2016 election and declined substantially among black voters, according to a new study.
The Census’ Current Population Survey, released Wednesday, shows 65 percent of white citizens cast ballots in last year’s presidential election, up from 64 percent four years earlier.
But the turnout rate among African-American citizens tumbled sharply, the survey shows. Only 59 percent of black citizens voted in 2016, down from 66 percent in 2012 and 65 percent in 2008.
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A decline in African-American turnout is consistent with other data sources that suggest that lower voting rates among the traditionally Democratic voting group may have doomed Hillary Clinton in last year’s presidential race. The 59-percent black turnout rate last year more closely resembles the 60-percent rate in 2004 than either of former President Barack Obama’s elections.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/10/black-election-turnout-down-2016-census-survey-238226
Well, so much for the theory that a single Democratic candidate had the votes of African-American voters locked up. I am not criticizing that candidate. I am criticizing the approach of the Party, which routinely fails to address the issues of particular voters (including voters of color), perhaps on the theory of "where else they gonna go?" Where they are gonna go, apparently, is not to the voting booth. I am not defending non-voting. I am saying non-voting is a real phenomena that smart activists and campaigners should deal with.
We need to be forward looking! All Democratic candidates of the future must work to drive voter turnout, of all communities, including communities of color that they may have been taught to think are "locked up." Conventional wisdom needs to be discarded. All votes should be fought for, and none should be taken for granted, particularly if data models assume all white Democrats will achieve the same level of African-American turnout as that achieved by the first African-American President. That's clearly a wrong assumption.
See also on related topics:
Shattered, which details the hubris of the data-driven campaign that got the data wrong in a few key states where it mattered: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/328405-clinton-campaign-plagued-by-bickering
Listen, Liberal, which details why some voters are fed up with the "where they gonna go" attitude toward them: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/thomas-frank/listen-liberal/
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It's understandable there was a higher Af American turnout for the historical Obama elections in 2008 and 2012. And in addition, it WAS the charismatic and well liked Obama. 
I wouldn't blame an individual candidate or party for a somewhat low turnout, unless certain key points weren't pointed out to the voters. People will either care or not, vote or not. If a group of people, of whatever race or religion, don't feel compelled to vote, even if it's only against someone like Trump, then, like Obama said, they deserve the President they get.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, we have to live with that decision, too.
Blacks have many of the same interests as whites, and Euro ancestry whites have many of the same interests as Irish whites and French whites, and Catholics have many of the same interests as Baptists.
The Democratic Party has done plenty for each of the groups who vote for them. I really wish they'd focus on ALL voters as one big group, including white blue collar, men and women, all races, LGBT & straight. We all really share many of the same concerns.
There are some special issues concerning blacks, though, because of the history in our country of preventing them from voting, rights to live where they want, equal pay, etc. The same can be said of women. Then, too, blue collar workers (of all races) have certain issues (like jobs & trade agreements) that appeal particularly to them, since they've been hit hardest by the move of jobs to other countries.
If HRC had won, there wouldn't be all this criticism. She won the popular vote. She ran a very good campaign, in view of her email issues. In hindsight, that was a much bigger issue than many thought it would be.
