Harris sets out plan to empower black men as US election looms

US Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing a plan to give black men more economic opportunities and other chances to thrive as she works to energise a key voting bloc that has Democrats concerned about a lack of enthusiasm.

Ms Harris’ plan includes providing forgivable business loans for black entrepreneurs, creating more apprenticeships and studying sickle cell and other diseases that disproportionately affect African American men.

She has already said she supports legalising marijuana, and her plan calls for working to ensure that black men have opportunities to participate as a “national cannabis industry takes shape”.

Ms Harris is also calling for better regulation on cryptocurrency to protect black men and others who invest in digital assets.

The Vice President’s so-called “opportunity agenda for black men” is meant to invigorate African American males at a moment when there are fears some may sit out the US election rather than vote for Ms Harris or her opponent, Republican former president Donald Trump.

She unveiled the plan on Monday, ahead of an evening campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she is due to appear with Democratic senator John Fetterman.

Yesterday, I released my medical records. Donald Trump should do the same. pic.twitter.com/GWXn7CPaTM

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 14, 2024

Her push comes after former president Barack Obama suggested last week that some black men “aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president”.

The Harris campaign also has been working to increase support among other male voting blocs, including Hispanics, by founding the group “Hombres con Harris”, Spanish for “Men with Harris”.

The latest policy rollout is notable because it comes with the stated purpose of motivating black men to vote just weeks before Election Day.

As her campaign has done with the “Hombres” group, Ms Harris’ team plans to organise gender-specific gatherings. Those include “Black Men Huddle Up” events in battleground states featuring African American male celebrities for things like watch parties for NFL and NCAA football games.

The campaign says it also plans new testimonial ads in battleground states that feature local black male voices.

Black Americans strongly supported Joe Biden when he beat Mr Trump in 2020. Harris advisers say they are less worried about losing large percentages of black male support to the former president than that some will choose not to turn out at all.

Mr Trump, too, has stepped up efforts to win over black and Hispanic voters of both genders. He has held roundtables with black entrepreneurs in swing states and will sit for a townhall-style event sponsored by Spanish-language network Univision this week.

He also has sought to openly stoke racial divisions, repeatedly suggesting that immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border illegally are taking jobs from black and Hispanic Americans.

Ms Harris’ new round of proposals includes a promise that, if elected, she will help distribute one million loans of up to 20,000 dollars (around £15,000) that can be fully forgivable to black entrepreneurs and others who have strong ideas to start businesses.

The loans would come via new partnerships between the Small Business Administration and community leaders and banks “with a proven commitment to their communities”, her campaign said.

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