Monday, December 23, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

ELECTION VICTORIES: Black legislators overcome odds

Nevada leads all states with higher percentage of blacks serving in Legislature compared with population

Kelvin Atkinson Assembly District 17 is 10 percent black William Horne Assembly District 34 in Las Vegas is 5 percent black

CARSON CITY -- The election of two additional black lawmakers to the Assembly Nov. 5 has pushed Nevada ahead of all other states when it comes to black representation in state Legislatures.

Seven of the 63 state legislators who will assemble in Carson City on Feb. 3 are black, representing 11 percent of the Legislature. According to the 2000 census, blacks made up 6.8 percent of the state's population.

"It is a lot of progress for a state that used to be known as the Mississippi of the West," said Chuck Bremer, consultant to the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, where he also was executive director. "We are pleasantly surprised."

In the 1950s, segregation in Nevada was so pronounced that black entertainers could perform in Strip ballrooms but could not eat or sleep in the hotels where they worked.

Not until the election of Republican Woodrow Wilson to the Assembly in 1966 did Nevada have its first black state legislator. Democrat Joe Neal became the first black state senator six years later.

But until this year's election, the percentage of blacks in the Legislature has been equal to or less than the state's black population. The victories of Democratic Assembly members Kelvin Atkinson and William Horne in Las Vegas changed that.

Legislatures in New Jersey, Ohio and Michigan also have a decidedly larger percentage of black lawmakers than the black population, but not as great a difference as in Nevada.

Though having seven black lawmakers may not seem like a lot, consider that California has only six black legislators in its 120-member legislative body. Massachusetts has seven black members among the state's 200 legislators. Washington state has just two out of 147.

Blacks are vastly underrepresented in many legislatures, especially in Southern states with sizeable black populations.

In former Senate leader Trent Lott's Mississippi, 33 percent of the population is black, while 25 percent of the legislative seats are filled by blacks.

University of Nevada, Reno political science professor Eric Herzik said black candidates fare well today because racism has diminished in America and there no longer is anything novel about being a black politician.

"It shows the mainstreaming of blacks in Nevada," said Herzik, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "Joe Neal didn't lose the (2002) governor's race because he was black, but because he ran against gaming and didn't have any money."

None of Nevada's black lawmakers was elected in districts where blacks are the majority.

Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, won a third term as senator in a Northern Nevada district that has a 2 percent black population. Sen. Bernice Mathews, D-Reno, earned a third term in a district with a 4 percent black population.

Horne's District 34 in Las Vegas is 5 percent black, while Atkinson's District 17 is 10 percent black.

Neal, 67, the patriarch of black legislators, said the election of black candidates in largely white districts never would have happened 30 years ago in Nevada.

"There has been a change," he said. "If you meet the voters and explain the issues to them and they are affected by those issues, then they will vote for you. You just have to get out and let people know who you are."

When he first was elected state senator, Neal represented a district in North Las Vegas that was 82 percent black. With the population growth and the shifting demographics throughout Southern Nevada, his District 4 now is 28 percent black.

"People seem to have gained a liking to black elected officials," Neal said. "They aren't afraid to vote for them."

Washington said he always has some doubt in the back of his mind whether he will be accepted by some white people.

"But you keep it there and forge forward," he said. "I'm not saying racism is gone, but we are more of a community than separate people."

Mathews has won four races, including one for Reno City Council, in districts with small black populations. She said she never let negativity keep her from running.

"I have run for office because I have issues, issues that affect all people," she said. "People vote for the person who can represent them best."

Neal remembers the time during the 1973 legislative session when he was taunted by a couple of white men while dining in a Carson City restaurant.

The restaurant owners called the local sheriff about the men. Several of his legislative colleagues came to Neal's defense after he told them about the incident in a floor speech.

"People were very disturbed about what happened," he said. "Since then, I have been treated very well by most of the businesses in Carson City."

Though Neal suffered a landslide defeat to Kenny Guinn in the governor's race, Herzik said, the senator is still loved by his constituents, as is Mathews, whom he believes may be the best-liked politician in Reno.

"These are good candidates," he said. "They represent their districts well."

BLACK LEGISLATORS ELECTED FROM PREDOMINANTLY WHITE DISTRICTS

District	Legislator	First elected	Black population in district
Clark 4	Sen. Joe Neal	1972	28 percent
Washoe 1	Sen. Bernice Mathews	1994	4 percent
Washoe 2	Sen. Maurice Washington	1994	2 percent
Assembly 6	Wendell Williams	1986	34 percent
Assembly 7	Morse Arberry	1984	34 percent
Assembly 17	Kelvin Atkinson	2002	10 percent
Assembly 34	William Horne	2002	5 percent

Source: Legislative Counsel Bureau

-- REVIEW-JOURNAL