Vann gave a key speech in Philadelphia, telling his black audience that Republicans did not care about the rights and concerns of black Americans. “I see in the offing a horde of black men and women throwing off the yoke of partisanism practiced for over half a century,” he said. “I see them casting down the idols of empty promises. … I see millions of Negroes turning the pictures of Abraham Lincoln to the wall. This year I see Negroes voting a Democratic ticket.”

Roosevelt did not, however, win the black vote in 1932, but the stage was set for an all-out effort to win over that bloc in 1936, and that is just what FDR did, earning an astounding 76% of the black vote that year.

Similar to Roosevelt in 1932, Trump broke new ground in 2016 by being the first Republican candidate for president in many years to actively solicit the black vote via speeches, radio ads, and social media advertising. His campaign in black areas and appearances in black churches was unprecedented for a GOP standard-bearer. And it paid off, as he won more than 20% of the black vote in the key swing state of Pennsylvania.