Harris Campaign Releases Economic Plan for Black Men

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Facts

  • The 2024 presidential campaign of US Vice Pres. Kamala Harris announced its 'Opportunity Agenda for Black Men,' proposing 1M $20K forgivable loans 'to Black entrepreneurs and others to start businesses.'[1]
  • Harris proposes expanding banking options to allow Black men to overcome existing hurdles when seeking capital, such as high fees, as well as a plan to protect cryptocurrency assets, which 20% of Black Americans reportedly own or have owned.[2]
  • She also proposes forgiving some educational loans to boost the number of Black male teachers, which reportedly stands at roughly 1% of US teachers, and utilizing groups like the National Urban League to expand apprenticeships for Black communities.[3]
  • Other proposed investments include legalizing marijuana at the national level and helping Black men succeed in the cannabis industry and investments in studying diseases that disproportionately affect Black people — such as sickle cell disease.[1][3]
  • This comes as Harris has seen declining support among Black male voters, with recent data from the New York Times showing 83% support among Black women and 70% among Black men. Pres. Joe Biden, in contrast, had 85% Black male support in the 2020 election.[4]

Sources: [1]Washington Post, [2]New York Times, [3]Las Vegas Sun and [4]New York Post.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by The Root. As her Democratic forebears have done for decades, Kamala Harris is attempting to help all Americans, especially Black people and other communities of color. Between her new initiatives and outreach from former Pres. Barack Obama, Harris can overcome obstacles such as skepticism about her role as a woman in power and regain momentum with the vital Black male demographic.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall. The Democratic Party is losing ground with Black men and for good reason. Instead of studying what policies Black men might be opposed to — such as abortion, a poor economy, and open borders — Democratic messaging has struck an accusatory tone. It's clear why the GOP is making inroads among Black male voters.

Predictions