As millennials progressively drift away from God and religion, not all hope is lost for the younger generation.
According to new research from Pew Research Center, black millennials are keeping the faith and living it out in greater numbers than non-black millennials.
Pew found that 61 percent of black millennials say they pray at least daily, compared to 39 percent of non-black millennials. About 38 percent of black millennials say they attend religious services at least weekly, compared to just 25 percent of other millennials. They also surpass other millennials in worship and overall belief in God.
This should be no surprise since most black Americans actually take time to read Holy Scripture. More than half of the black people in the United States (Christian and non-Christian) say they read the Bible or other religious texts at least once a week outside of religious services, and less than a quarter say they seldom or don’t read the Bible at all. In both responses, they outdo white people and Hispanics by a long shot.
President Trump has noticeably brought God back into the national political dialogue through his heartfelt speeches and tweets. Could this appeal to America’s religious roots resonate most with the young, underserved black Americans who are positioned to benefit from Trump’s success?
It’s safe to say that Trump’s results have not gone unnoticed in the black community.
Back in April, BET founder Robert L. Johnson, America’s first black billionaire, praised Trump’s tax cuts and the low unemployment rate among African Americans. Black unemployment dropped to 5.9 percent in May—the lowest since the government started measuring it in 1972.
The president’s unlikely friendship with rapper Kanye West has started the conversation of “ideas over party affiliation” in the black community—building a bridge to a demographic that has consistently voted for Democrats.
While many black celebrities have worked hard to discredit Kanye for his support of Trump, the president’s popularity did, in fact, increase when Kanye openly addressed his admiration for him on Twitter. Furthermore, several black pastors have stumped for Trump during his campaign and his presidency.
President Trump’s impressive results and alliances have created an opening to reach the black community in a way that Republicans have failed for years. By bringing God back into politics, Trump is bolstering his support in the black community and will continue to inspire black millennials to ditch the Democratic Party and vote “red” in the midterm elections and beyond.
