What does happen when a horse of different color enters in the race?

The panel o f the afro-american politicians' electoral strategies in the m unicipal elections in the United States

Abstract

The emergence o f black politicians winning electoral races for city halls o f great American ci­ties is a turning point in the political history o f the United States. In 1990, more than 300 cities were governed by black mayors, including in this group metropolises such as: New York and Los Angeles. Based on a review o f the recent literature on race and politics in the United States, this article points out the main aspects that have contributed to the electoral success o f black candidates in the American local politics, as well as portrays the obstacles that these politicians have faced to be in the power. Due to the scarcity o f literature on the relation bet­ween race and politics in Brazil, the article proposes a careful examination on the American experience. It does not try to force comparisons between the situations in these two countries. It aims at understanding the factors that have contributed to that reconfiguration o f political power taken place in the United States.