November 6, 2007 marked a historic moment in Mississippi politics. Despite a Republican landslide in the governor's race, a Democrat took an open Republican-held legislative seat with a commanding 57% of the vote.
But that's not the whole story.
A couple of facts make this electoral triumph even more remarkable.
This Northeast Mississippi Republican district is over 90% White.
And the Democrat elected is African-American!
Eric Powell, who almost defeated a Republican incumbent four years ago, became the first African-American Democratic to win in a white-majority Mississippi history. According to the Clarion Ledger, Powell succeeded based on "his personal popularity, credibility and hard work." For more of this article, go to http://www.clarionledger.com/...
Powell's achievement is impressive in many ways. He won as a Democrat in a Republican seat, in a year where the Republican governor won overwhelmingly.
But the fact that a majority of white voters in an overwhelmingly white district supported him gives hope to other African American candidates seeking votes in predominately white and Republican areas.
I am thinking particularly of Barack Obama. Even as polls show he would beat possible Republican candidates by a wider margin than Clinton, lingering doubts about racism remain.
Let's not kid ourselves. Racism is out there, and it remains strong in many places. And yet, if an African American Democrat can win in an OVERWHELMINGLY white legislative district in Mississippi (still probably one of the more racist states in the U.S.), hopes springs forth that a strong candidate (such as Obama) may be able to breakthrough in unexpected places. While Obama may not be able to completely transcend racism, he can blunt its impact, and emerge victorious.
These are exciting times people! Let's go out and make history!