Nov 9, 2024 Story by: Editor
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For many Black men, Donald Trump’s victory over Harris on Tuesday was a significant blow. Trump’s campaign strategy proved successful in broadening his appeal among Black and Latino voters. According to CNN exit polls, he garnered support from approximately 13% of Black voters and 45% of Latinos, compared to his 8% and 32% shares, respectively, in the 2020 election.
Political strategist Khalil Thompson, who previously worked on Barack Obama’s campaign, noted, “I believe that wasn’t a strategy that was adhered to from either side – not just from Democrats – from either side.” Thompson’s grassroots organization, Win With Black Men, advocates for direct engagement with Black voters, especially men, on policies that resonate with their needs and priorities.
Black voters remain one of the Democratic Party’s most reliable groups, and within that, Black men have been a steadfast progressive bloc. While Trump did not secure a majority of Black or Latino voters, he made notable inroads, particularly among Black men under 45. According to AP VoteCast data, around 3 in 10 Black men under 45 supported Trump, nearly doubling his share from four years prior.
Harris entered the presidential race late in July after President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid. This late start left her campaign with only a few months to rally Black voters. Bakari Sellers, a CNN analyst, and longtime Harris supporter noted that Harris needed to capture close to 90% of the Black vote to win. While she received 86% support among Black voters, it fell short of Biden’s 92% in the 2020 election.
In Texas, Trump’s support among Black men surged to about 34%, a significant jump from 15% in 2020. Many Black community leaders expressed frustration with the Democratic approach. Ambrose Lane, president of Million Man Vote, argued that while the economy improved under Biden, high living costs left Harris’s campaign scrambling to address economic issues like price gouging. “So Biden very well could have stopped price gouging during his term before he even passed the reins over to Kamala, but he didn’t do that,” Lane remarked.
Obama also stirred controversy in October by suggesting some Black men might be uncomfortable with a woman as president. Preliminary exit polls showed Harris received 78% of Black male votes, yet millions of eligible Black men sat out the election. Some strategists, like Thompson, emphasized that Harris’s focus on social media engagement, though innovative, may not have been the most effective approach. “Texting is great because that’s the device that’s in everybody’s hand,” Thompson explained, “but it’s not as effective as direct conversations with voters.”
Thompson and Win With Black Men plan to host regional discussions on policy with Black men, including those who voted for Trump. The aim is to reach Black men wherever they are—whether in barbershops, pool halls, or biker communities—and engage those who abstain from voting, like Myers. “I still believe in our mission to engage Black men at a granular level of how we’re going to move them to make effective community change—starts now,” Thompson said. Source: USA Today
