Barack Obama spoke at a campaign rally for Kamala Harris on Thursday (Oct.10), where he called on Black voters, particularly Black men, to support the vice president.
“We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running. Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers,” Obama said at the ‘Black Voters for Harris’ in Philadelphia.
“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. I’ve got a problem with that. Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and reasons for that. When we get in trouble and the system isn’t working for us, they’re the ones out there marching and protesting.”
Since announcing her candidacy in July, Harris has proved popular in several credible polls, but the race is still widely thought to be neck and neck between her and the former commander-in-chief.
A September NAACP poll showed that over 25% of Black men under 50 say they will vote for Donald Trump, sparking efforts to turn things around ahead of next month’s election.
On Tuesday (Oct.8) , a $4 million initiative named “Vote To Live” was launched. The initiativ focuses on engaging and mobilizing Black male voters in key battleground states, primarily in six states—Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—with additional efforts in Arizona and Nevada.
Donald Trump is not thinking about you. He only sees power as a means to his ends. America is ready to turn the page. pic.twitter.com/q80uODpUkZ
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 11, 2024
“Black men are now one of the No. 1 targets for misinformation online, so we know they are being targeted by our adversaries, people who are trying to meddle in our elections, both foreign and domestic players,” Quentin James, founder and president of the Collective PAC told NBC News. “So we want to make sure we are also communicating with Black men around what they need to go vote, what to bring with them, what’s on their ballot — educating them on the actual process because there is so much online trying to sway them.”
Vote To Live, a nonpartisan endeavor, seeks to rouse Black men to vote by focusing on voter registration education, providing free transportation to early voting sites, employing community outreach workers and organizing events at historically Black colleges and universities.
Obama says the decision should not be this difficult for Black Americans.
“On the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, knows you, went to college with you, understands the struggles and pain and joy that comes from those experiences,” he explained.
Obama added that Harris, who is both Black and Asian American, is dedicated to policies benefiting Black communities, such as affordable housing and healthcare. “And on the other side,” he continues, referring to Trump’s controversial campaign, “you have someone who has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person.”
