Supporters eagerly awaited the arrival of US Vice-President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at a campaign rally held at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, on October 13, 2024. — AFP
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris introduced new policy initiatives targeted at Black men on Monday, which encompass forgivable small business loans and access to a newly legalized recreational marijuana industry. The Harris campaign, along with Democrats including former president Barack Obama, have shown significant concern over whether Black males will participate in the November 5 election in the same numbers as past elections and whether they will support Harris or her Republican opponent Donald Trump.
These new policy proposals are part of Harris's strategy to directly appeal to Black men and make them a more prominent focus of her campaign during the final phase. Reuters was the first to report on this plan. The new policies include one million fully forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for entrepreneurs in underprivileged communities, and a commitment to legalize recreational marijuana while ensuring Black entrepreneurs have access to this emerging industry.
Other proposals involve enhancing access to the cryptocurrency industry for Black Americans and initiating a national health equity program focused on Black men, addressing diseases such as sickle cell, which disproportionately affect this community. While these plans are tailored to the Black community, Harris aims to highlight how her economic proposals benefit all men.
If elected, Harris would be the second Black president and the first Black woman to hold the office. Some Democrats see the vice-president's relatively weak support from Black men as a major concern in the election, while others believe this group is being unfairly blamed for broader issues in her campaign. According to a September poll by the NAACP, the nation's largest civil rights organization, over a quarter of young Black men say they would support Trump in the election race. In 2020, President Joe Biden received about 80% of the Black male vote.
The unveiling of these policies comes just a day before Harris is scheduled to be interviewed by Charlamagne tha God, a comedian and author whose nationally syndicated radio show is popular with Black millennials. He is also a notable critic of the Biden administration. Harris is also expected to discuss these new policy proposals when she visits Erie County, Pennsylvania, on Monday.
