VP Harris’ receipts for Black men’s opportunities
21st October 2024 · 0 Comments
The backlash from Black men over former President Obama’s comments last week about Black men and the upcoming election came fast and furious. Some Black men called his remarks “demeaning” and “insulting,” and some felt he was talking down to them.
“You’re thinking about sitting out or supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you because you think that’s a sign of strength because that’s what being a man is? Putting women down?” That’s not acceptable,” Obama said, speaking about Trump.
Obama also wondered if some Black men “… just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president” and that they were coming up with ‘alternative’ reasons for that.”
However, the ire of Obama’s Black male critics is understandable. Black men are the second most dependable Democrat voters, and 81 percent are Democrats or Democratic-leaning.
If The New York Times report is accurate, the Harris campaign must be concerned that only 70 percent of Black males will vote for Harris, down from President Biden’s 85 percent in 2020.
On the other hand, Obama’s predilections about misogynists in the Black community rings true. Some men, including Black men, think a woman’s place is in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant. Alternatively, some Black men drank the Kool-Aid, believing Trump would be better for the economy than Harris.
Vice President Harris understands the plight of Black men and has experienced firsthand the marginalization and redlining that comes with being a Black American. From growing up in Oakland, California, working summers at McDonald’s to save up for college, and becoming California’s attorney general, Kamala Harris has seen, up close and personal, the struggle that Black Americans must endure to succeed.
Harris’ remedy and response to the needs of Black men are captured in her nine-page Opportunity Agenda for Black Men, released this month. However, she has been working to uplift Black communities throughout her various careers, including as vice president.
Over the past four years, Harris has worked with President Biden to increase Black wealth by 60 percent compared to before the pandemic and to help over 250,000 Black Americans become homeowners.
As vice president and senator, she secured tens of billions of dollars for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the country and launched the Economic Opportunity Coalition – a novel public-private initiative in which private sector entities drive tens of billions of dollars into underserved communities.
Harris’ Opportunity Agenda for Black Men’s objectives include providing them the tools to achieve financial freedom, lower costs to better provide for themselves and their families, and protect their rights.
The agenda includes: (1) Providing one million fully forgivable loans to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business. (2) Championing education, training, and mentorship programs that help Black men get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries and lead their communities, including pathways to becoming teachers. (3) Supporting a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets so Black men who invest in and own these assets are protected. (4) Launching a National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black men that addresses sickle cell disease, diabetes, mental health, prostate cancer and other health challenges that disproportionately impact them and (5) Legalizing recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in this new industry.
That is Madame Vice President Kamala Harris’ agenda for Black men. For specific details, visit https://x.com/KamalaHarris.
What is Donald Trump’s agenda for Black men? He doesn’t have a specific plan for Black men. Trump has what he calls the ‘Platinum Plan’ for Black America. However, given his proclivity for lying, we hesitate to direct our readers to his website.
This article originally published in the October 21, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
