By Redaccion
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Vice President Kamala Harris has announced a plan focused on creating economic opportunities and addressing key challenges facing Black men as part of her effort to energize this critical voting bloc ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The proposal aims to boost voter turnout among African American men, an area of concern for Democrats following signs of disengagement.
Harris’ initiative includes forgivable business loans for Black entrepreneurs, expanded apprenticeships, and investments in researching diseases that disproportionately affect African American men, such as sickle cell disease. The vice president’s platform also emphasizes the need to involve Black men in the growing cannabis industry and proposes new cryptocurrency regulations to protect investors, a group where digital assets have gained popularity.
The rollout of the “opportunity agenda for Black men” comes at a critical time, as recent comments from former President Barack Obama suggested some Black men might be reluctant to support Harris. “Some Black men aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president,” Obama said, underscoring the campaign’s challenge to engage this demographic.
Harris announced her plan ahead of a campaign stop in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she will visit a Black-owned business and hold a rally. In recent months, her team has also launched efforts targeting other male voters, including Hispanic men, with the creation of the “Hombres con Harris” group, which translates to “Men with Harris.” The new agenda targeting Black men follows this model, with plans to organize events like “Black Men Huddle Up” watch parties for NFL and NCAA games featuring African American celebrities.
“Our focus is on building an economy where Black men can thrive — buy homes, start businesses, and build wealth,” said Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Harris campaign and a former congressman from Louisiana. Richmond emphasized that the plan reflects the campaign’s commitment to providing Black men with “the tools to succeed.”
While Black Americans overwhelmingly supported President Joe Biden and Harris in the 2020 election, campaign advisers acknowledge that the challenge in 2024 may not be losing votes to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump but rather low voter turnout among African American men.
Trump, meanwhile, has also been actively courting Black and Hispanic voters. His campaign has organized roundtables with Black entrepreneurs in swing states and will host a town hall this week on Univision, a major Spanish-language network. At the same time, Trump has escalated rhetoric around immigration, often framing it as a competition for jobs between immigrants and Black and Hispanic Americans.
A key aspect of Harris’ plan is the promise to facilitate 1 million forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs and other aspiring business owners. These loans would be administered through partnerships between the Small Business Administration and community-focused banks and organizations.
The vice president also aims to address the underrepresentation of Black men in public education. Data from the National Teacher and Principal Survey shows that Black men made up just over 1% of the nation’s teaching workforce in 2020-21. Harris’ plan proposes financial incentives and expanded loan forgiveness programs to encourage more Black men to become teachers.
Harris’ campaign is also focused on health issues affecting Black men, with promises to expand funding for sickle cell disease research and improve mental health services. The plan includes a national initiative to address other prevalent conditions like prostate cancer and diabetes, which disproportionately impact African American communities.
Recognizing the rising interest in cryptocurrency among Black men, Harris has pledged to support new regulations designed to safeguard digital asset investors. Her campaign argues that better oversight will protect these investments and encourage financial stability.
Recent polling by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that Harris retains strong support among Black voters, with roughly seven in ten viewing her favorably. The survey indicated little difference in support between Black men and women, suggesting that both groups favor Harris over Trump on key policy issues such as the economy, health care, and immigration.
With Election Day approaching, Harris’ campaign hopes that targeted outreach efforts like these will motivate Black men to engage and cast their ballots.
“This plan isn’t just about politics,” Richmond added. “It’s about building a better future where Black men are empowered and have every chance to thrive.”
