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Voting advocates nationwide came together last week to discuss the impact black voters had on last week's presidential election. The event, sponsored by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, also addressed how the higher turnout will affect black communities around the country. An estimated 13.6 million black voters participated in this year's election, making it the highest turnout of black voters ever, said David A. Bostis, senior research associate from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The black voter turnout increased by more than 3 million voters, or 25 percent, since the 2000 election, Bostis said. Although the Joint Center has not fully analyzed its data, initial research indicates that a high proportion of the new black voters were aged 18 to 30, he said. Many of the voting advocates at the event spoke of the important role young adults played in this election and that it was they - the "Hip Hop" generation - who provided new energy and information to increase black civic participation [more]