Black political power

"Black communities often get talked about, but we don't get spoken to," said Alicia Garza, Black Futures Lab's founder and principal. "A lot of our issues, and the things that we care about, get framed and shaped by somebody who is not us."

Black candidates running in either party don't automatically translate to improvement or advancement for Black people as a whole.

Several Twitter users called out a white St. Louis attorney for attacks on Action St. Louis, a grassroots racial justice organization, and its staff.

Despite the Senate's inaction, Black Voters Matter and allied organizations continue to caravan through the south to Washington, D.C., raising awareness around voting rights, election reform, and D.C. statehood.