Much has been made of the impact that Black voter turnout had on Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

But the contributions go far beyond just showing up, said Vladimir Medenica, assistant professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. Led by Stacey Abrams, the behind-the-scenes work that didn’t show up in the political boxscore – such as voter registration, organizing protests, mobilizing communities – was as vital to the Biden win as vote totals.

Medenica can also speak to why, despite enduring hundreds of years of oppression and racism, Black Americans continue to make major contributions during election season in an effort to make America great.