Vice President Kamala Harris recently launched a new campaign to get Black churchgoers in battleground states to go out and vote.
Announced to ABC News, the campaign, known as “Souls to the Polls,” will have Harris and her campaign go to various Black churches in several of these key battleground states. The initiative will be led by the National Advisory Board of Black Faith Leaders which includes Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Bishop Leah D. Daughtry, Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III and Rev. Matthew Lawrence Watley.
“Souls to the Polls” officially began its start yesterday with a national call that included several speakers, including faith leaders and elected officials, as well as performances from gospel artists.
“Vice President Harris has been a faithful servant to both God and the American people for her entire life,” said members of the advisory in a joint statement per Essence. “The Vice President is a woman of faith and principle and is the only candidate who has always been a friend and advocate to the Black Church and faith communities across the country.”
As Election Day nears, Harris has made various appearances on her campaign trail. She previously announced that she will visit various HBCUs in battleground states, such as George, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, alongside her running mate Tim Walz.
The vice president and Walz previously kicked off the HBCU tour on Sep. 28, visiting Winston-Salem State University first and hosting a tailgate following the landfall of Hurricane Helene.
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On Saturday, the Harris campaign continued its tour with a visit to Virginia State University.
Throughout her campaign trail, Harris has received public support from a variety of key figures. Most recently, former President Barack Obama took to the stage on Thursday at the “Black Voters for Harris” event in Philadelphia.
In his speech, the former president delivered remarks urging Black men to vote in support of Harris, indicating that some may be hesitant to vote for her because she is a woman.
“I’m going to go ahead and just say, speak some truths, if you don’t mind because my understanding, based on reports I’m getting from campaigns and communities, is that 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,” said Obama per USA Today.
“I’ve got a problem with that because part of it makes me think – and I’m speaking to men directly – 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 other reasons for that,” he added.
According to a Pew Research Center Poll, Harris is currently ahead among Black voters in the U.S., leading 84% to 13% over Donald Trump.
