I don’t know who I’m voting for on March 1. I’m not just saying that because I’m not supposed to endorse a candidate, but because the Democratic Party has three (yes, three) brilliant candidates with very different policy proposals, and I haven’t yet decided which of them is best fit to lead our nation. But my indecision is rare for black voters in the U.S.; most of them unapologetically support Hillary Clinton. Even though Bernie Sanders has seen his support in the black community grow from 4 percent to 22 percent in recent months, that number is still far too low to win a primary in a state like South Carolina or Alabama. Given the policies Senator Sanders advocates – tuition-free college, a major federal jobs program, a $15 minimum wage and Medicare for all – many would argue that black support for Secretary Clinton doesn’t make sense. Indeed, many of the problems Bernie consistently fights, most notably income inequality, affect the black community more than any other American demographic. But to argue that black Clinton supporters are ignoring that reality is at often wrong and usually pretentious.

A unique aspect of black political culture – one often overlooked by the media and even by many political scientists – is a sincere reverence for black community leaders. Cornel West’s endorsement of Bernie Sanders is an important boost, but the overwhelming majority of black endorsements have gone to Hillary. Endorsements from prominent politicians certainly matter to some degree in every political race, but support from black leaders can make or break a campaign. Because, to an extent that few other communities can understand, our leaders have fought for us. John Lewis led a student-organized campaign alongside Dr. King in Selma, where Terri Sewell witnessed the atrocities of police brutality as a child. Joe Reed, longtime black political boss of the Alabama Democratic Party, fought as hard for equal benefits for black teachers as he did for integration. Throughout the nation, and especially the South, civil rights has been an uphill battle, and when those who have pulled that weight for decades give an opinion, people listen.

But why do those endorsements come in the first place? The answer to that question surely varies from person to person, but my best guess can be illustrated through the candidates’ Alabama speeches – both of which I attended. At Bernie’s rally, he was preceded by Cornel West, Nina Turner and a black church choir –a fitting tribute for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He continued to speak his usual message, ranging from healthcare and the decimation of the American middle class to criminal justice reform. At Hillary’s event, she spoke about those issues too, but also about restoring the Voting Rights Act, and she brought up her plan to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into historically black colleges and universities. While Bernie Sanders’ plans should help many black Americans out of poverty, Hillary Clinton has plans to help black Americans specifically, and it isn’t inappropriate to expect that.

Social Security, when it was passed during the Great Depression, excluded the vast majority of black jobs. The G.I. Bill, passed after World War II, often did not cover the service of black soldiers or pay for their college. The Federal Housing Administration actively permitted redlining to prevent neighborhood integration, and only started letting black Americans get home loans when banks could start giving subprime mortgages. Even today, 10 years after Hurricane Katrina, formerly middle-class black neighborhoods in New Orleans have gotten significantly less government help than poor white neighborhoods, and many poor black neighborhoods have received practically nothing. Both historically and presently, any time a program is designed to help everyone, black people are left behind. If the government instituted a reparations program to anyone of a certain skin tone, most of the money would probably go to white people with spray tans. So while there is no doubt that Senator Sanders intends to help everyone with his plans, Secretary Clinton has done a much better job at targeting her policy (or at least her message) to ensure that the people who need the most help get it.

I agree with Bernie Sanders more than any other candidate. Over the next month, myself and many other Americans will be grappling not with the choice between idealism and pragmatism, but with the notion that that dichotomy exists at all. As a black American, I have to remind myself that as often as I listen to and am inspired by Kennedy speeches, it was Johnson – a ruthless pragmatist – who pushed through both the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. But as I lay awake each evening and consider my options, I always end the night with a quick prayer. I thank God I’m a Democrat and that my party’s top two candidates aren’t talking about building great walls or making the desert glow in the dark. 

Kyle Campbell is a junior majoring political science. His column runs biweekly.