In the heart of North Carolina, the story of the Carter family beats strong.
A testament to resilience woven through Black Americas turbulent yet triumphant history.
There is Deborah Kamilah Carter, at 75 the bedrock of her family, a living archive of stories.
Each family member has carved their path of activism, championing education and community empowerment.
Black women have long been the unsung heroes of the political arenasteadfast, unrelenting, and often unacknowledged.
Its a consistency that spans regions and decades.
From left: Deborah Kamilah Carter, great-aunt Courtenaye Johnson Lawrence, and Afiya Carter
This isnt merely about politics; for these voters its about survival and progress.
So why do they keep voting for the Democrats?
And can the party keep taking their support for granted?
A portrait of LeRoy Johnson, Deborah Kamilah Carter’s father, sits on a table at his granddaughter Afiya’s house.
Its a love letter of sorts to the party they have supported for decades.
I never considered voting for a Republican.
They never represented me or my familys interests.
From left: kynita stringer-stanback at home with her wife, Afiya
Not even with Ronald Reagan.
The only Republican she vaguely recalls considering was Dwight Eisenhower, but she quickly dismisses that as childhood naivete.
I was probably in elementary school, just coming out of World War II.
Assata Goff with her grandmother Kamilah Carter
But as I grew older, I thought that the Republicans were against us at every turn.
Her political education was shaped from the heart of her own home in Newark.
Born in 1949, the youngest of three sisters, she remembers a house always buzzing with political leaders.
Clockwise from bottom left, Assata Goff, Kamilah Carter, Afiya Carter, Naeemah Kelly, and Courtenaye Johnson Lawrence
We remember our dad going to the library, reading, talking about Marcus Garvey.
He was a complete fan of Malcolm X.
We always just felt good about who we were, the skin we were in.
Assata Goff stands in front of the family home, with grandmother Kamilah Carter, on the left, and great-aunt Courtenaye Johnson Lawrence.
Even though we were aware of all the problemsbecause my dad always kept us abreast of them.
She believed that reaching the corporate level was not helping the community and not helping her family.
Kamilahs own career path was more circuitous, although still rooted in education and nurture.
Assata Goff and Deborah Kamilah Carter on the front lawn of the family’s home in North Carolina.
The year after she graduated from college, she got married.
At the forefront, I thought my career was raising my children, she says.
So I always had them in cultural activities.
But reality set in, and I went to work.
My girlfriend said, Youre a social worker.
Why are you just sitting home having babies?
In 1979 she relocated to Durham, North Carolina, with her youngest daughter, Nafisah Carter.
The rest of the familyher then husband, Afiya, and Adiylahjoined them in February 1980.
This move also gave Kamilah the opportunity to work outside the home.
She describes that role as the highlight of her career.
How have so many women, especially Black women, died during childbirth?
How does that happen?
She is troubled by the banning of books, the attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
And, she says, Foreign policy is a struggle for me.
The current divisive political climate casts a long shadow, creating uncertainty about the future.
North Carolina has emerged as apivotal swing state.
With the 2024 election looming, the stakes for Black women in states like North Carolina couldnt be higher.
Yet Durhams journey hasnt been without struggle.
Urban renewal projects decimated thriving Black neighborhoods likeHayti,redlining confined Black families and exacerbating economic and health disparities.
Despite these challenges, leaders such as civil rights activistAnn Atwaterstood tall, working with former Klan leader C.P.
Ellis to transform the school system.
kynita and I have lost friends and family members because we chose to be together.
Today, Durham is compared to Brooklyn and serves as a hub of Black achievement and creativity.
And its why, for them, local politics are as important as national.
When we moved to Durham, it was definitely different, Afiya recalls.
My parents had to explain Ramadan and fasting to our teachers.
Afiya and her sisters had to navigate their unique identity.
The thing about Islam in my family was that functionally, we were different.
Growing up surrounded by non-Muslims, it taught us to be okay with being different, she says.
They didnt focus much on direct action like protesting, although Ive done my fair share.
Afiyas journey in social justice began as a teenager.
This commitment shaped her family dynamics.
Together the women fought against Amendment One, which threatened marriage equality.
Were not the only people who have lost folks to be together.
But despite facing backlash for her beliefs, Afiya stands firm in not letting the differences tear them apart.
Her wife echoes this sentiment but also notes her own perspective.
I read the first draft of the Constitution, which excluded women, the enslaved, and the Indigenous.
At 18, I realized this political system was set up without considering people like me, says kynita.
So why should I register as a Republican or Democrat when neither party considered me a citizen?
Initially registered as independent, she says, Today, my voter registration shows Im unaffiliated.
I think Harris entering the race as the front-runner brings out vibrancy and youthfulness that has really been missing.
As an unaffiliated voter, she decided to use the Republican ballot and cast her vote for Newt Gingrich.
The same sort of thing happened in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898.
Wilmington was a major port with a Black postmaster and significant Black power in the community.
There has never been a desire to share power, and I think thats going to be our demise.
Assata Goff with her grandmother Kamilah Carter
Her connection to this struggle is deeply personal.
My grandparents took voting very seriously, never missing an election.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 paved the way.
Voting wasnt just a privilege; it was also a responsibility.
That really resonates with a lot of people right now.
I dont want to give up on our country.
I will do everything that I can to honor their struggle and their sacrifice.
Her life, filled with both joy and tragedy, has profoundly shaped her beliefs today.
They were neighbors, she recalls.
Zaire was shot during an altercation.
The young man who killed her brother had just been released from jail.
He, too, died during the encounter.
My brother defended himself with a knife, and they both died right next to each other.
The tragedy left both families with not just heartbreak, but so many unanswered questions.
Where did he get the finances to purchase a gun?
When you have a little person inside you, you just cant be angry all the time.
For Naeemah, these questions highlight the systemic issues surrounding gun access and the cycle of violence in communities.
Kids were in need of clothes.
Its all connected, she explains.
Now motherhood has brought new perspectives for Naeemah.
When you have a little person inside you, you just cant be angry all the time.
My daughter doesnt have any choice right now; shes just in me.
The thought of her daughter growing up in a country where her body isnt respected terrifies her.
Ive thought about leaving the country to give her more options, she admits.
For her, the Democratic Party offers the most hopeful path forward.
She recalls the joy, when she was in ninth grade, when Obama won the Democratic primary.
At the time it was just still a possibility, but it was crazy.
The whole house roared and we just partied all night.
She has kept a picture of herself voting for him in 2012her first presidential election.
I remember exactly what I was wearing.
Today, though, she views politics through a more jaded lens.
Ill always fight to receive something different.
But at the end of the day, we influence politics and we do not get recognition for it.
She still intends to vote Democrat, but its an increasingly less joyful experience.
Not voting is still making a choice.
Thats why I vote.
At 23 this artist brings a fresh perspective through her work in painting and sculpture.
I studied new media animation and Africana history at UNC Asheville, she says.
Since she was raised in the South as a Black Muslim, Assatas background deeply influences her worldview.
That experience opened my eyes to the nuances of discrimination, she explains.
Hurt people hurt people, she notes, emphasizing the importance of understanding diverse viewpoints.
But she struggles with the anger she feels at society today.
And in that aspect, it makes me feel really proud.
And then it makes me feel really angry because people just take that for granted.
And they do this thing where theyre like, they mobilize us.
And were down and everything.
And then its crickets for our rights and for the things that will ease our oppression.
Assata remains hopeful by focusing on local elections and policies.
And either way, it sucks.
