by Daniel Johnson
18 August 2024
“Black men can make the difference between winning and losing,” said Frank White, co-founder of Black Men PAC.
Black Men PAC is preparing to spend $4 million to encourage black men in several swing states to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to Politico, the group plans to highlight Harris' record and accomplishments through a social media campaign and a campaign effort in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that will also include door-to-door canvassing and radio ads.
Frank White, co-founder and executive chairman of Black Men PAC, told the news agency that he believes black men could make the difference between a Harris victory and a Trump victory.
“Black men can make the difference between winning and losing,” White said, before acknowledging that Harris' rise as a candidate has resulted in a better return on her investment. “Kamala is a better investment,” White noted.
According to the Associated Press, black men have emerged as a key demographic in the upcoming election. Although they are historically more likely to vote Democratic, they are viewed by both parties as voters whose votes are up for grabs.
Bishop Reginald Jackson, head of all 534 African Methodist Episcopal churches in Georgia, told AP that Harris' entry into the race also motivated black men.
“To be honest, I think a lot of black men viewed this election with a lot of skepticism and fear at the beginning of this process.
But since the change on the Democratic ticket, there has been a turnaround. I think they feel like they have something they can support. I think a lot of the issues that have made many of them skeptical are being addressed,” Bishop Jackson said.
According to the New York Times, some black men, such as Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, have put their finger right on the pulse. Speaking at the “Win With Black Men” Zoom fundraiser for black men, Raoul said, “Sometimes we as black men are confused about what strength is, and sometimes we think that as a black man, standing behind a black woman as a leader doesn't show strength. I'm here tonight to tell all of you that it's the opposite of that: it shows strength.”
Raoul continued: “I stand behind a black woman who wants to be president of the United States and that doesn't make me any less of a black man. I ask all of you to do the same.”
Harris, for her part, has been engaging with black men during her tenure as vice president, with a particular highlight of those efforts being an NAACP-facilitated gathering of 60 black men at the White House in 2023.
Moreover, Harris has said exactly what many black men have said: that she has to earn her vote.
Harris told The Nation in July: “There's a stereotype in this election that I don't approve of, because the underlying premise suggests that black men should be in the pocket of the Democrats, and that's absolutely unacceptable. And that's why: Why should one particular demographic be any different than another? They all expect you to earn their vote! You have to make your case.”
Jason Nichols, a professor at the University of Maryland College Park's Department of African American Studies, told the New York Times that he believes black men know how important it is for them to vote for Vice President Harris this time.
“You see the community coming together to vote for their good – which in this case is a black woman. I think this time black men understand the role,” Nichols said.
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