A practical guide for community conversations and informed civic engagement

I was asked to be a guest on a popular Podcast, The GPodcast, hosted by Tommy B (Thomas Bacote). He asked me to identify five questions that Black voters should ask any candidate who knocks on their door. These questions are good for any voter in any racial community in America.

When a candidate knocks on your door, you’re not just meeting a person; you’re meeting a set of priorities, a worldview, and a record that will shape your community long after the campaign signs come down. Black voters have always had to be intentional about the questions we ask, because our history in this country has taught us that access, equity, and accountability are never guaranteed. They must be secured.

So when a candidate shows up asking for your vote, don’t just listen to the pitch. Make them answer to the realities of your neighborhood, your family, and your future. Here are five questions every Black voter can ask, no matter the party, no matter the office, to separate the slogans from the substance.

1. How will your policies protect and expand our access to voting?

Black political power has always depended on the ability to vote freely. Any candidate should clearly explain how their agenda strengthens, not restricts, participation.

2. What investments will you make in the neighborhoods where Black families actually live?

Ask for specifics: schools, infrastructure, transportation, small business corridors, environmental safety, and housing stability. Real commitment shows up in real places.

3. How will you ensure Black communities benefit from economic growth, not just watch it happen around us?

This includes wages, job pipelines, entrepreneurship, procurement access, and protections against displacement. Growth must be shared, not observed from the sidelines.

4. What is your plan to improve public safety without sacrificing our civil rights?

Black voters consistently express a dual concern: safety from crime and safety from state overreach. Candidates should speak to both with balance and clarity.

5. Who will you be accountable to once you’re in office, and how will we be able to reach you?

Accountability is not symbolic; it is structural. Ask how they plan to stay accessible to the communities they serve.

Why These Questions Matter

These five questions help voters separate slogans from substance. They center Black agency, force clarity, and ensure candidates speak to the realities of the communities they hope to represent.

At the end of the day, democracy is not a spectator sport. It’s a conversation, and Black voters have every right to shape that conversation with confidence, clarity, and intention. Candidates may come to your door with polished talking points, but your questions are what reveal their priorities. Your questions are what remind them that our communities are not abstractions. We are families, workers, elders, students, and neighbors who deserve to be seen in full.

So ask boldly. Ask directly. Ask with the weight of history behind you. And remember: any candidate who cannot answer these five questions with honesty and specificity is not ready to represent the people they’re asking to serve.

Our power has always lived in our voice. Use it.

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Five Questions Black Voters Should Ask Any Candidate Who Knocks on Their Door