THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITY ON BLACK POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

Black political participation substantially increased between 1952 and 1972. Prior to the increase in black political participation, black associational membership as well as active affiliation was commensurate with that for whites and in fact greater for blacks than for whites. The growth of black political participation, it is shown, is a consequence of a change in the type of voluntary groups with which blacks became associated. Blacks changed their voluntary memberships from nonpartisan to political organizations. These political organizations flourished and promoted a greater skill and competence among their members, which led to the increase in black political participation.