Addressing a lively crowd of several hundred voters gathered in a North Philadelphia high school auditorium, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris officially launched their campaign’s Black voter outreach initiative on Wednesday. Recent polls indicate a decline in support from the crucial Black constituency that played a significant role in electing them to the White House in 2020.
During their speeches at Girard College, an independent K-12 boarding school serving mostly low-income Black students, the White House duo were accompanied by prominent Black Democrats, including Pennsylvania’s Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, along with representatives from Black voter groups like Black Men Vote and the NAACP.
President Biden and Vice President Harris emphasized the importance of Black voters in both the previous election and the upcoming one.
“Because of the Black American vote, Kamala and I are the president and vice president of the United States,” President Biden stated. “We need your vote again in 2024 to ensure that Donald Trump is once again defeated.”
In a fiery address, the president intensified his criticism of his predecessor, attributing the January 6 insurrection to Trump’s false claims of victory and declaring him to be a continuing threat to the nation.
After his speech, President Biden visited South Restaurant & Jazz Club, a local Black-owned small business, to meet with supporters. The campaign plans to host voter registration and engagement events aimed at Black voters in key battleground states across the country.
“As we move forward, we will continue to build on the progress we have made and ensure voters understand that we are the only candidate in this election who cares about them and has made tangible progress for our community,” said Jasmine Harris, the director of Black media for the Biden-Harris campaign.
In the 2020 Democratic nomination race, President Biden’s strong support from Black Americans played a significant role in his victory. Despite initial setbacks in some early contests, he secured a decisive win in the South Carolina primary with substantial support from Black voters.
While President Biden captured 87% of Black voters in the 2020 general election, recent polls suggest a decline in support, with only 74% of Black registered voters indicating they would vote for him. In battleground states like Pennsylvania, where President Biden won by a slim margin in 2020, new polling shows Trump leading by three points.
The Biden campaign remains confident in its outreach efforts and partnership with Black voter organizations to engage with voters in key swing states. Supporters at the event expressed their continued enthusiasm for President Biden, highlighting his efforts for the community.
However, some emphasized the importance of educating and motivating younger generations about the significance of voting. Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign continues to target Black voters by criticizing President Biden’s policies on crime and inflation.
Trump’s outreach to minority communities focuses on presenting himself as a better alternative, contrasting with what his campaign sees as empty promises from the Biden-Harris team. The former president recently made a direct appeal to minority voters during a campaign event in the Bronx.
